Your Voice
by EnelyaTheSmall
Summary: Modern InuAU. Kagome and Inuyasha are both musicians who frequent a small cafe. Once a week they have a night of anonymity where performers and audience alike are hidden by mask. A story of secret love, dedication and a mystery musician that is sure to keep you wanting more from these two!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. Any and all characters of Inuyasha belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi.**

 **Also. I do not own any music mentioned.**

 **This fic is very music oriented so i highly suggest listening to the song either before or during reading.**

 **Songs in this chapter:**

 **"You Don't Know Me" by Michael Bolton**

 **"Skinny Love" by Bon Iver (Cover by Birdy)**

 **content warning: language and adult situations in later installments. mild lime.**

* * *

Kagome sat down in the comfortable chairs of the dimly lit café, adjusting her borrowed kimono. The whole idea of the Anonymous Night was that all patrons and performers had their identity concealed. The café handed out kimonos other traditional clothing to go with a mask of your choosing. Kagome wore her own mask from home, a simple pink half mask with lace overlay on the right side. She was fidgeting in her seat, hoping he would come tonight. It was hit or miss whether or not the mystery acoustic artist would show up. Sometimes he would come and play a few sets, always leaving the crowd wanting for more.. and other times he wouldn't show up at all. The small stage had a traditional paper door cover with back lighting. It helped the performers be able to do their best without feeling pressure by seeing the audience. Then, the light dimmed. She had arrived at just the right time. The mystery player took stage, taking his mask off and setting it on the table to the side of the stood. Only his silhouette was visible to the viewers, driving Kagome crazy. She had been coming here for over a year and she desperately needed to know who this guy was.

Unscrewing his water bottle, the shadow took a quick sip and pulled his guitar over his head. He turned slightly, allowing his profile to be viewed. He only did this on nights where he was playing something he really put his heart into. He always kept his head bowed, as if he were embarrassed. He started off strumming slowly, patting a beat on his guitar face.

Then it started. His soothing yet rough voice.

" _You give your hand to me.._

 _and then you say hello._

 _I can hardly speak my heart is beating so._

 _And anyone can tell,_

 _you think you know me well.._

 _but you don't know me._ "

He continued with a very Michael Buble sounding version of Michael Bolton's "You don't know me" Kagome couldn't help but lean her cheek into her hand as he played, he sang with such love and compassion it had her heart breaking for the man. You could tell from his music that he was singing from his heart of hearts.

" _Oh I'm just a friend, that's all I've ever been. Cause you don't know me"_

There was someone he loved that didn't know he existed. Sometimes when he would sing love songs like this, Kagome would pretend that she was the one he was singing about and would swear that she would never leave this beautiful soul in so much pain. How could this girl not know he loved her? If he treated her with just a fraction of the admiration he held in his voice then she must be truly blind to see his feelings. During the remainder of the song, Kagome closed her eyes. Listening to his strumming and smooth voice always made goose flesh creep across her arms. Then as abruptly as he began he finished, gathering his things and exiting the stage before the crowd had a chance to roar with applause. Shaking out of her trance, Kagome clapped loudly, her smile spreading widely across her face. It was disappointing to only hear one song, but then again she only had one prepared for the night as well. It was 7:10, 5 minutes before she was to take stage. So quietly, she moved to the back of house area to grab her keyboard. There was always a lot going on back here, people adjusting instruments and rehearsing quietly. She had been practicing at home all week and knew if she tried any further she would mess herself up. A flash of red to her left had her turning quickly to view the object. But the person was gone in an instant, the neck of an old guitar case the only thing to be seen. She had thought she'd seen a glimpse of a sticker for a local pub. But all she could make out was a pink orb. "Next." the stage director whispered, ushering her on.

Quickly she went on, standing between the light and the paper door. Kagome took a shaky breath and set up her piano. Once she took a seat, she gathered her hair quickly and pulled it back into a bun to remove it's distraction from her view. After tapping out her beets, she began with a slow melody, her fingers gliding quietly over the keys. After a breath she closed her eyes and began, her Alto a lower, more sensual version of the cover by Birdy.

 _"Come on skinny love just last the year._

 _Pour a little salt, we were never here._

 _My-my-my My-my-my muh-muh My-my._

 _Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer."_

She closed her eyes, letting the lyrics flow from her mouth as her delicate fingers danced across the keys. Getting to the chorus, she raised her voice, demanding more from the keyboard in front of her.

 _"And i told you to be patient_

 _And i told you to me fine_

 _And i told you to be balanced_

 _And i told you to be kind_

 _And in the morning i'll be with you_

 _But it'll be a different kind_

 _Cause i'll be holding all the tickets_

 _And you'll be owning all the fines"_

Her voice became almost breathy as she brought it back down, gently stroking the keys.

" _Who will love you? Who will fight?"_

And when she finished, lightened her strokes and bowed her head. Standing, she gave a little wave to the hidden spectators and gathered her things and left. The sound of their applause made her smile. She wondered how many of them she she went to school with. She decided to go ahead and go to her car, it was rather late and she had an 8 am class in the morning she needed to catch if she was going to pass. After stopping by the changing rooms and dropping off her kimono and removing her mask, Kagome toted her keyboard to the small, yet well suited, 1967 Volkswagen beetle that had served her well since she got her permit. It's powder blue exterior always made her smile. After fiddling with the keys in the dark for what seemed like forever, she finally managed to locate the one for the door. As soon as she got the key in the lock, a familiar aura came close to her. "Hello, Koga." she sighed, popping the trunk and moving to the front of her vehicle. Koga was a wolf demon that she had known for quite some time now. He never managed to take the hint that she wasn't interested in him. And now he was leaning unceremoniously against the driver's side of her car as she crammed the keyboard into the trunk and shut it, looking to her right where the wolf was smiling his toothy grin. The old children's story about Little Red Riding Hood popped into her mind just then " _Oh my, what big teeth you have."_

"Do you mind?" she asked, trying to maneuver past the youkai. But Koga had other plans, "Actually, doll, I was gonna see if you wanted to catch a flick with me." he growled seductively, leaning closer to her face. Now she had to lean backwards to avoid breathing in his breath. "I really can't tonight, Koga. I've got class in the morning and my cat has been alone all day. So if you don't mind i'm just going to-" but before Kagome had a chance to push past him, Koga had moved her to the rear end of her car past the door and placed a hand on either side of her head. "I HATE cats.." He mumbled, shivering as he breathed in her scent. "But i guess i can forgive _you_ of all people, Kagome."

Half a block down the street, an inu-hanyou was loading his acoustic guitar into the bed of a faded red 1998 Chevy Tracker. He had always figured that the car was just as much as a reject as he was so why not give the old monster a chance. The breeze caught his nose as it shifted. He smelled Kagome.

Her scent was extremely original, never before had he smelled anything like her before he met her. The scent of sunshine and fresh flowers, though, was marred with the scent of fear and anxiety. Then he caught another smell on the breeze. Koga. The mangy wolf boy had been breathing down Kagome's neck for the past two years since they have been in University. Somehow he just couldn't take a hint and often required Inuyasha to step in and teach him some manners when it involved ladies. What made Inuyasha's hair stand on end was that Koga's scent held the thick spice of arousal. No. Not acceptable. Looking toward the scents he found his targets. Koga had Kagome pinned to her car, drooling like a starving man. He wanted to bum-rush the bastard but thought against it. Kagome didn't know that he sang at the coffee house and he had no intention of letting her know now. Thinking quickly, he pulled on a pair of jogging pants over his jeans and pulled up his shoulder-length white hair into a loose bun. Putting his headphones in (not easy since he had to loop them around his ears to keep them in place), he jogged over to the pair.

"I just need to go home, Koga. I'm sorry." Kagome whispered, trying to move her face away as the wolf leaned in to smell her neck. "Hey, Wolf!" Inuyasha growled, jogging up to them, taking out his ear-buds and shoving them into his pants pocket. It looked to them that he had just been out for a run and stumbled upon them. "She said back off. " He growled, grabbing Koga's shoulder and not-so-gently pulling him into the street. "Get lost flea-bag!" Koga growled, standing straighter, his tail fluffing with anticipation of a challenge. Inuyasha looked over to Kagome then, making eye contact with her. They spoke to each other through their eyes only.

" _Go home. I'll call you when I get done with him."_ Inuyasha nodded.

" _Thank you. I owe you big time. "_ Kagome smiled, ducking into her car and starting it. The old beetle roared to life and Kagome left for her apartment.

"What the fuck was that?!" Koga growled, shoving Inuyasha by the shoulders. It didn't even phase the half demon, barely making his body jerk. Smiling slowly, Inuyasha cracked his neck. He knew he had to move quickly to take the wolf off guard. Then, with one swift motion, came around with a south-paw and sent Koga sprawling on the pavement. Moving to go stand over him, Inuyasha got serious very quickly, his smile falling from his lips. "If i ever hear of you tormenting her again," he snapped, his fangs lengthening as his rage built," I will make sure you don't have a silver tongue to wag around any more. Or a tail to tuck as you haul ass away from her." Koga was furious. His own growl building in his chest as he stared up at the hanyou. But instead of reacting, he only stood and walked away, wiping the blood from his lip. "Yeah, whatever, Dog-breath. You aint worth my time." He growled, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as he made his way to his motor bike. He was no fool, and seeing the purple jagged stripes appear on the hanyou's cheeks as the whites of his eyes twinged with red let him know that it was too dangerous to provoke the man even more. If Inuyasha lost control of his demon now, the entire neighborhood would be bathed in crimson.

After Koga left, Inuyasha felt his blood began to cool as he made his way back to the Tracker. "That was close." he grumbled, hauling himself into the front seat. He had taken the rag-top off earlier in the night due to the warm summer atmosphere, so he rolled down the windows to match. Scrubbing his face with his left hand, he started the old engine. The beast roared to life and the hanyou shifted it into drive and took to the road. Instead of calling Kagome, though, he sent her a quick text.

 **I** _The jerks been dealt with. You need me to bring anything by the house?_

Kagome responded seconds later.

 **K** _Thank you so much! I didn't want it to come to that but he was getting really pushy._

 _oh, and no. I grabbed groceries this morning after lunch._

 _we still on for tomorrow?_

Laughing, Inuyasha typed out a quick affirmative and headed to his apartment. He was going to have one hell of a time trying to get to sleep after all that.

The drive home did calm his nerves, though. He didn't even turn on the radio, but instead allowed the sound of the engine and wind and the tires on concrete be his life song. Sighing heavily, Inuyasha raked his clawed nails through his hair, forgetting it was still up. He grumbled as he tugged at the tie, letting his mane loose. How could he have not noticed his hair not hitting him in the eye? As he turned on to his street he managed to slow down both his thoughts and the grumbling engine. The old Tracker bumped it's way into a coast and glided effortlessly into the resident parking. After only fiddling with the switches for a minute (he had to hold the lock while he pressed for the windows to rise) he grabbed his things and trudged up the stairwell toward his third story apartment, not worrying about locking the car or even sealing it up for the night. The car was so ugly and outdated that anyone who would want to steal it or anything in it was obviously down on their luck and desperate, seeing as though the car shared a parking lot with several BMW's and Audi's.

After fiddling with his keys for a moment and finally unlocking the door, He was greeted by the smell of a wax warmer that he had forgotten about before leaving. "Dammit.." he mumbled, tossing his guitar onto the couch and subsequently on top of the pile of clean clothes he had yet to put away. He didn't even bother turning the light on, seeing as though his night vision was perfect. He had never understood folding and hanging up laundry, it was all going to get wrinkled anyways, right? But Kagome and Miroku often chastened him for being lazy or unkempt any time they saw his careless trail of hoodies, band Ts and sweatpants strewn across the microfiber of the sectional. Kicking off his converse by the door, his bare feet made no noise as he strode across the room to the warmer and clicked off the light, the stronger lavender scent of the wax tickling his sensitive nose. He had finally been convinced by Sango and Kagome to get one last fall. " _How are you ever going to invite a girl over when your place smells like a bachelor pad mixed with a doggy day-care?"_ Sango had asked, obviously trying to strike a nerve. He remembered her sly smile as she avoided eye-contact nonchalantly, flicking at a pair of boxer-briefs that had been draped on the arm of the recliner. Her chocolate bangs had hidden her challenging glance as she basically asked for him to retort.

He still hated how his friends could so easily manipulate him like that. And he wouldn't have even bought the damned thing if Kagome hadn't agreed with her, nodding her head and raising her eyebrows as she cleared off a section of couch to sit. Kagome. She was a deciding factor about a lot of things he did. Not because she made him do anything, but because her happiness was the single most important thing that he could think of. He hated how every time she left town to spend time with her family, he would get angry or short with her. It was never her fault, he just hated being away from her.

"Fuck." he sighed, opening the fridge and illuminating the small, yet modern kitchen. He grabbed a beer and let the gravity of the door slowly draw it closed. Not even bothering with an opener, the half-demon brought the top to his mouth and popped the metal cap off with his teeth, spitting it into a glass jar he kept on the counter for such items.

He was never one for drinking to get drunk, seeing as though his tolerance was roughly triple that of a large human. But instead he allowed the taste and mere idea of the beverage to calm him down. " _Kind of like humans and coffee.. Huh.."_ he thought, taking a sip of the offending liquid and opening the sliding glass door to his patio. The night really was perfect. The white-haired man sighed again as he sat down on the concrete, drawing the leg closest to the railing up to allow for an arm rest. No matter how much he drank. No matter how much music he listened to or wind he breathed in. Inuyasha couldn't stop himself from thinking about the raven haired girl across town with a beat-up casio keyboard and a love for the smell of lavender as he stared up at the stars, forgetting the drink in his hand altogether.

* * *

 **a/n: sorry this one is so short. I plan on this being a multi-chapter fic so hopefully I can give you guys some more meat as this progresses!**

 **r/r because reading your comments makes me smile like an idiot. Also would love some tips, tricks, questions, comments and concerns.**

 **thank you guys so much! Im going to try and update soon!**

 **-EtS**


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again. I own nothing.**

 **Fingerstyle guitar mentioned- (You can youtube it) "Go the Distance -** **Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Cover (Hercules Disney Soundtrack) " by Dave Niskin**

* * *

At 10:30 am the next day, the Saturday morning light pierced through Kagome's window like a hot blade. The woman in question rolled to her side, her face falling into the beam and subsequently startling her awake. Stretching her arms over her head, she let out a small sound of relief as her shoulder popped and her muscles readied themselves for the day. Letting her arm fall to her nightstand, she pulled her cell phone toward her face and allowed her eyes to adjust gently as her half lidded stare fell upon the clock on her lock screen. "CRAP!" she gasped, realizing that she was behind schedule. The three text messages on the screen from Sango stared back at her accusingly. Jumping out of bed, Kagome rushed to her dresser and snatched a fresh pair of undergarments and a sundress and sprinted toward the bathroom, her feet slipping on the hardwood floor, causing her to grab the door frame. "Shit shit shit shit." she whispered breathily, fumbling out of her clothes and into the shower. The water had yet to warm by the time she jumped into it, eliciting a sharp squeal. She quickly scrubbed her body and hair, rinsing in the now warm water and snatching a towel from the hook, she extricated herself and dried off. She hated how bad she was at time management. Always had been. All throughout middle and high school she had problems with getting to school on time or even remembering when there was an exam.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she decided that the paisley blue sundress she had snatched was actually a very good choice for the day. She ran a comb through her hair and shook it out to allow it to dry properly, lotioned her face, threw on some mascara and ran to her room where she slipped on a pair of white and tan wedge heels. She was going to at least look mildly decent today. "Okay.. got my bag..keys..phone.. " she mumbled, snatching her white clutch from the kitchen table. 'OH!" she remembered, running back to her room where, on her desk, sat a key chain. After grabbing the last item on her list, Kagome ran out of the apartment, locking the door quickly, then sprinted down the stairs to her beetle. The woman had managed to make it all the way down the stairs without incident, but alas, before she made it to her car, her heel caught the one slab of concrete that was slightly raised and she fell forward onto the hood of her vehicle.

Groaning, Kagome pushed herself off of the hood, taking a quick look at herself. After she deducted that nothing was broken or ripped, she jumped into the front seat and sped her way toward midtown, and toward a patiently waiting hanyou.

Inuyasha sat at the their usual corner booth by the boulangeries expansive front windows. Kagome was late. Again. But, then again, she was always at least a little bit late to anything she did. Especially if it was in the mornings or weekends. So here he sat, sipping on a cup of Oolong tea and flicking at crumbs on the plate of taiyaki and higashi while he waited for her to arrive. He was completely reclined in the booth, stabbing at the eye of one of the custard filled fish when Kagome's old beetle bopped it's way into the spot beside the tracker. He watched, amused, as she fumbled with her things and jumped out of the car, running inside quickly. The moment she opened the door to the pastry shop, Inuyasha closed his eyes reflexively as her scent curled itself around his brain. Opening his eyes again, he watched as she trotted on heels over to him. Her beautiful figure was complimented well by her paisley dress that sported hand-drawn styled white line art flowers. He smirked as he took in her appearance.. But that changed when he smelled the tang of her blood. "The hell happened to you?" he prodded, pushing the plate of pastries over to her. His ears were pinned forward in attention, trying to read her at any chance.

Kagome sighed as she put her clutch down, wiping her bangs out of her eyes as she looked down at her scraped knee while picking up a small higashi. "I overslept.." she admitted defeated. " Then-" she started, dipping the dry cookie into the green tea Inuyasha has gotten for her, using her other hand to gesture widely," -of COURSE i fall onto my own car. And there was some jerk stopped in the middle of the road." she rolled her eyes, crunching on the sweet cookie. Inuyasha watched as she continued to go on about her morning. The light was coming in from her left, highlighting her sharp features and raven black hair as she moved about animatedly. Her deep chocolate brown eyes caught the light, giving Inuyasha a glimpse at the hills and valleys of her iris and the varying shades that decorated it. "Sounds to me like you didn't set an alarm. Ya brought this on yourself, you know." he picked, tugging at a string from a tear in his jeans. He mindlessly clicked the metal of the stud in his tongue against the back of his teeth as he directed his stare to his right, out the window and to a bird that sat on the top of a metal waste bin by a blooming cherry tree. Thinking about how they were starting out early this year.. It was only late March. Meaning his birthday was coming up soon.

Kagome stopped mid-sentence and looked at him with a challenging stare. "Well if you hadn't wanted me up here so early then maybe I wouldn't have struggled to get here!" she snapped, huffing at him as she crossed her arms over the sweetheart neckline of her dress. "And quit with that clicking!" she growled at him exasperatingly, using the toe of her heel to push his balanced right leg off of the left, causing the flat of his sole to slap the ground with the dead weight of his leg. "Now why ya gotta do crap like that?" Inuyasha challenged back, putting his left hand on the table and clenching the right one into a fist, leaning over the table to her in a mock threat. He even bore his fangs at her, as if he would ever dare to use them. Kagome knew that he was bluffing, and snatched up a taiyaki. Turning up her nose to him, she took a bite of the pastry and waved off his crass behavior. "I don't know, Inuyasha. Maybe it's because you KNOW that i hate that cursed noise and you still do it around me. Why did you even get it in the first place? You can't take it out or it will heal up instantly. You would have to keep getting it repierced." Kagome asked, flicking at one of his claws. Inuyasha relaxed his stance and crossed his arms behind his head, closing his eyes and letting out a small sigh. "Hell if i know. Miroku was getting his nipples pierced and basically forced me into getting something. I figured why not. Like fuck i was getting my nipples or ears done. I don't know. Quit hounding me, won't ya?" He grumbled.

Kagome's eyes widened slowly. "Miroku.. Miroku has his nipples pierced?!" she giggled, covering her mouth. "Shit.. you weren't supposed to know that." He huffed to himself, "Whatever. The baka did it for Sango for their anniversary last summer. Apparently she likes weird shit. " Inuyasha gestured with one claw-tipped hand toward the window dismissively. "They are perfect for each other. That idiot has always been a freak when it comes to stuff like that and thanks to you taking Sango in like a damn stray cat he found someone who can kick his ass and get him off with no problem." Kagome watched as her friend scratched his neck, his beautiful alabaster hair was tied up and away from his face in a quick bun, two thick strands framed his thin face. She then looked at what he was wearing, a "Frankie Say Relax" Band T with a worn red flannel button-up with the sleeves rolled past his elbows. She smiled at his slowly deteriorating sense of style. " _Now that i think about it.."_ she thought, stirring her tea slowly, after adding in a dollop of honey. " _I don't think I've ever seen him in something other than a variant of this exact outfit.. I wonder what he would look like if he dressed up. Probably would tear a three-piece suit to shreds trying to adjust it."_ The visual of Inuyasha trying to pull a suit jacket over his broad shoulders and ripping off one of the sleeves made Kagome snort abruptly.

Inuyasha's ear flicked towards Kagome. She obviously found something hilarious. "Hey wench," he grumbled, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table." What's so damn funny?" But instead of answering him, Kagome downed the rest of her tea and grabbed her wallet. Standing up, she smiled back at him. Inuyasha felt his cheeks warm marginally as she reached down and took his left hand in her right, pulling him up with her. "W-what the hell are you-" he started, stammering over his own words. "Oh hush." She interjected, dragging him towards the door. "We are going to the music store. I need a new keyboard." She finished, matter-of-factly. "O-okay.." he mumbled, jerking his hand from her light grip. He could still feel where her warmth had been only moments before. Before she could see that his hands were shaking, Inuyasha shoved them into the pockets of his blue-jeans. He always wore them one size too big to have a little more breathability, and to ensure that his claws wouldn't snag on fabric and tear any more holes in the pockets. He then took the lead in their walk, only a step ahead so he could still watch her out of the corner of his eye.

She walked with an air of confidence and grace that confused him. How could such a clumsy girl move as if the air itself was leading her to her destination. "Hmmph." he huffed, looking away from her. From his pocket, his cell phone buzzed. Pulling the device out, he checked the text on the screen before opening it in full.

 **Shippo:** " _Just saw your ex at that tree nursery by Kiwo.."_

Inuyasha growled. No one could leave the fact that his ex-girlfriend was back in town. After they had broken up back in highschool, she had moved up to Nagasaki and was living her life up there without him. And that was fine with him.. For the most part. He still cared about Kikyo in a strange obligatory way. They had dated from 9th grade through 10th before ending on sour terms. There had been a scandal involving another guy that had wedged them apart. Sure, he figured, maybe they could have figured things out. But instead of coming to him directly, she burned every bridge imaginable. And even once the truth came out, she was still bitter and angry. He didn't even dare think about the sad life she had been thrust into that made him feel so protective of her even though she had been so hateful.

A man nearly ran directly into Inuyasha as he walked towards the store," Watch it." He growled, momentarily distracted from his thoughts. But once they were back on their way, he was right back where he left off.

Kikyo had been orphaned at the age of 13, when she had to move in with an Aunt with her kid sister in Tokyo and had started going to his school after being homeschooled her entire life. She had taken to Inuyasha in the same way one takes to a stray animal. And he was grateful to her for the companionship. Then at 15, during her and Inuyasha's separation, Kikyo was in a car accident that left her paralysed from the waist down forcing her to be homeschooled and leaving the school, and Inuyasha, in her past. She had been on her way on a public bus to meet him to talk about things between them when the bus was struck by a drunk driver. So ever since then, Inuyasha felt as if it were his fault for her suffering. They had run into one another from time to time since then. He had even seen her sister around town and would have light conversation. But he wasn't in love with her anymore. He had an obligation to her as the person who was responsible for her disability. He knew she was bitter with him. But any time she texted him to meet her, he would. Who was he to tell her no? And now the runt was even telling him where she was and it honestly took a lot of willpower not to go and see how she was doing.

Kagome saw tension in Inuyasha's shoulders after he checked his phone. That only ever happened if his brother or Kikyo was involved. And he wasn't cursing so she figured it was the latter.

Kikyo. She was always going to be his top priority. Kagome knew about their jumbled past and knew that she had been Inuyasha's first love. She was also aware of the fact that Inuyasha blamed himself for Kikyo's paralysis. So no matter where he was, if he got the call from her, he would always go. Kagome's shoulders drooped a bit as she thought of this. Was it wrong of her to wish that Kikyo would just leave them alone? She hated sharing him with her.. She was mean to him anyways.

They rounded the corner and came up to the music store. "Why are we here again?" Inuyasha asked, interrupting her thoughts and effectively catching her off guard. "Uh.. " she deadpanned, blinking back at his honey colored irises. "Oh! Yeah, a new keyboard!" she recalled, pushing open the store door. They were greeted with the smell of pine and the tinkling of the windchimes used to alert the store owner of a customer. The old man who owned the store also made box drums, hence the shaven wood smell. The man in question looked up from his current work and smiled at the couple. "Well hello there, young hanyou. Kagome." The demon carver in question then looked back to his work, waving them on and grabbing the block of magnolia from another angle. Kagome bowed to the man and walked over to the section of pianos and keyboards. Inuyasha lifted his chin in greeting, his hands still buried in his pockets. He watched as Kagome was instantly washed away in the sea of ivory and stained wood. She moved like a branch blown by the wind, moving gently between two keyboards that had caught her eye.

"There is a new acoustic in the corner." Bakuseno gestured, his wrinkled hand still curled around a carving tool, not even bothering to look up to the white-haired man. Inuyasha turned to look in the direction given, taking in a dark stained Martin guitar propped on a stand. Turning on his heel, he man sauntered over to it, picking it up by the neck and inspecting the makers mark. "Hmm.." he breathed, nodding at the quality make. It was a Martin X Series LX1E. Very classic shape, nice smooth grip and lightweight body. Looking back at Kagome, making sure she was still occupied with her selection of prefered instrument, he took the guitar over to the stool and sat at it's edge. He strummed it lightly once, listening to it's tuning, only having to adjust the top string a hair. It was one advantage that he liked about his ears. The sensitivity and ability to move independently and hone in on multiple sounds meant he had perfect pitch.

As quickly as he sat down, he grabbed the old capo from his pocket, adjusted it and was lost in the instrument; using his claws in fingerstyle to pick the cords quickly and smoothly. He decided on a lighter song, choosing a disney classic "Go the Distance" from Hercules, testing the guitars range. Nodding his head along with the slower beat, Inuyasha mouthed the words as his long fingers gently glided over the fretboard. It had always been his favorite of the movies. " I don't care how far.. Somehow i'll be strong. I know every mile… will be worth my while… I will go most anywhere to find where I… belong.." he sang quietly. After he was done, he gave the guitar a gentle rub on the neck, silently thanking it for calming his nerves. "Inuyasha.." a quiet voice spoke from directly behind him. Turning quickly, the man's face fell as he took in Kagome's soft smile. She held a new hard case with her new keyboard inside. "Found a Novation i liked." She smiled, lifting the case for emphasis, "An Impulse 49 Controller. I heard you, just then. I didn't know you still played." She moved beside him, then, taking a seat in a roller chair.

"Well ya never asked." Inuyasha grunted, standing abruptly, guitar still in hand. He stiffly walked to the counter and pulled out his worn out black leather wallet Kagome had given him their sophomore year of highschool. Thumbing through the contents, he found his back card and laid it on the counter. "Gimme the guitar." He snapped at the old man, clicking his nails against the counter impatiently as he avoided eye contact with Kagome. He came to this place very often and tested guitars and tuned instruments for this old man, but Kagome didn't know about his playing. Or that he sang. And he was going to keep it that way for as long as possible. If she was given the chance to listen to him play or sing for too long, she would recognise his voice at the cafe and it would all be over. His carefully built charade would go up in flames and she would surely push him away knowing that every song he sang there, he saw her behind his closed eyes. Bakuseno stood from his seat by the drum and slowly made his way to the counter, completely unphased by the young hanyou's piercing stare.

The man took the card, rung up the guitar and handed Inuyasha back the card, which was subsequently snatched from his grasp and shoved back in the wallet. A mumbled "Thanks" from Inuyasha and a quick wave from Kagome and the pair were out the door. "Why didn't you tell me you still played?" Kagome asked, trotting to keep up with her friend's long stride. "I told ya," he growled, throwing the guitars strap around his shoulder for an easier carry, "Ya never asked. Now back off it, will ya?" The woman noticed he was more snappy with her that he normally was. Something had set him off again. Time to change subject. Kagome shifted her grip on the keyboard case and was fixing to speak before the case was snatched from her hands. "I can carry it myself, you know." Kagome remarked snidely, not making a move to retrieve her instrument. She knew how he got when he was like this and didn't want to make it worse by challenging him any more than what was safe.

She heard a soft ,"Feh." as he readjusted the guitar and kept walking back towards their cars. "Oh!" Kagome exclaimed, touching his arm lightly, sending a shock through him."Sango said they are having a party at her sorority tonight and she wanted us to come!" Kagome clapped her hands together in excitement, already planning her outfit for the evening. "Now why in the hell would I want to go to a damn sorority party any ways?" Inuyasha grumbled, already envisioning the loud music and foul scents associated with humans in gatherings. "I don't know.." Kagome started, looking from the side of her eye over to him to gauge his reaction," She said the boys from Alpha Kappa Epsilon were coming and I'm definitely going so.." Inuyasha snarled at her, nearly stopping their forward movement all together. " Now why in the hell would they invite those mangy internal-business wolves to their party?!" he exclaimed, his lip curling at the thought of Koga drooling over Kagome again. "Fine." he mumbled angrily," I'll go. Only 'cause i aint fixing to have that flea-bitten wolf drool over you." Kagome's smile widened, knowing that Inuyasha's disdain for the fraternity that held his arch rival would secure his attendance as long as she was going as well. She didn't hate Koga, actually she liked him very much.. As a friend. But especially with alcohol, he tended to get a little pushy with her.

They arrived at their respective cars and Kagome popped the trunk of her beetle and Inuyasha set the keyboard inside. He then set his new guitar through the window of the tracker and into the passenger seat. "Alright. Pick me up at 8." Kagome laughed, giving him a quick hug and ducking into her vehicle. Inuyasha watched and gave a small wave as he watched her pull away and take off towards her apartment building. Sighing, he climbed into his SUV and looked over to his passenger. "What are you lookin' at." he asked, sneering at the guitar. Then, he begrudgingly cranked the car and made his way back to his place to get ready for what he assumed was going to be another sensory overload of a night.

* * *

 **a/n - well then. fluff and pinning in future chapters! be prepared!**

 **ive got the majority mapped out after this so hopefully it wont take as long to update! thanks to all for your support! r/r!**

 **-EtS**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hokay.** **obligatory disclaimer. you know the deal.**

 **Songs mentioned:**

 **"Hey Ya" - Outkast**

 **"I Wanna Love you"- Akon ft Snoop Dogg**

* * *

At 7:55 pm, Inuyasha pulled into Kagome's parking lot, running his fingers through his windswept hair before grabbing onto the 'Oh shit' handle and hauling himself out of the tracker. His hair was down now, and laying in gentle waves a little past his shoulders, a stark contrast against the black worn leather jacket he had switched his flannel out for. Kagome lived on the second floor, so the single flight of stairs was nothing. Looking down at the fishheads of his shoes, Inuyasha rapped his knuckles against the heavy wooden frame. He swiveled his ears forward, listening intently on the goings on in the tiny apartment. Hearing Kagome's bare feet thump across the floor in short burst around the house, he deduced that she was still getting ready. "I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming." she breathed, hopping on one foot toward the door as she secured a black pump heel to her left foot. With one hand, she flipped the lock and went back to getting ready, slipping into the other heel quickly.

Inuyasha let himself into the house after that, closing the door behind him. Looking down at the watch on his left wrist, he saw that he was actually 5 minutes early and wasn't able to hound the raven haired girl about her misuse of time quite yet. "Almost ready!" Kagome reassured, poking her head out of the bathroom down the hall to smile at him briefly before diving back into her routine. Just the quick glimpse of her had Inuyasha averting his eyes and scratching his head, trying to ignore the warmth in his cheeks. "I'm such a fucking moron." he growled, plopping down onto the white leather couch in her living room. "Mrrrrooooooowww" a fat Japanese short tail cat greeted, rubbing against his leg. "Hey Buyo." Inuyasha sighed, picking up the cat and placing him on his lap. The cat made a tight circle and decided to lay down between his legs, facing the rest of the room. The hanyou chuckled, hearing the cats fervent purring as he settled down. "You are one weird cat." he smiled, scratching the cat behind the ears affectionately. Buyo and Sango's cat Kirara were the only cats he had ever encountered that weren't total ass holes to him. He figured it was the staunchly canine aura he exuded that made them hiss and bat at him.

Kagome came trotting out of the bathroom 1 minute before 8, securing a pearl earing into her right ear. "So," she asked, holding out her arms and quickly turning 360 degrees to allow the hanyou a full look at her outfit, "Do i look nice?" " _Nice? NICE? You look a lot of things. Perfect. Beautiful. Stunning. Nice doesn't cut it "_ he thought, shrugging his shoulders. "Feh, I guess. Aint your legs gonna get cold in that thing?" he asked, taking in her dress. Kagome had decided on a halter top dress with a black knit bodice that had a sweetheart neckline. At her hips it changed material to a deep blue fabric with pink carnation blossoms decorating it. The dress itself ended about mid thigh and swayed gently against her creamy olive skin. The top fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves in all the right places. And if he was correct, she was also wearing a bra that made her bust more.. Well.. busty. Kagome rolled her eyes and pulled back a section of bang that had fallen from her hairdo and pinned it to a place. She had decided on keeping it down, braiding one section at each temple and pulling them together in the back. Her ink black hair fell in soft waves to the middle of her back.

"It's also very… black." he pointed out, scratching at his temple distractedly. "Fine." she huffed, turning back to her room and disappearing from view. Inuyasha listened as she rummaged through bulky sounding items, them re-appeared wearing a pair of pumps that matched the exact coral pink of the carnations on her dress. "And is this any better, Mr. Fashion Police?" she asked twisting her left leg so he could get a better gaze at the side of the heel… and her calf. "Better i guess." he shrugged, averting his eyes to gaze intently on a single Tsubaki blossom she had in a thin glass on her window sill. It's red-orange hue catching the light from the street light outside of the window, highlighting odd angles and casting shadows within the flower itself. It's bright yellow anthers splayed as if still searching for pollen. "Well 'I guess' better be good enough because i'm not changing anything else. C'mon grumpy butt, we are going to be late if we don't hurry!" She laughed, grabbing a light jacket from her hall closet and hurrying towards the door.

Inuyasha had put the hardtop on the tracker for the night to prevent the spring chill from bothering his passenger with more sensitive skin. Kagome hauled herself into the passenger seat and clicked her seatbelt in place, immediately beginning to fidget with the radio once the engine rolled over. Outkast's "Hey Ya" was found once they hit the highway and a smile lit her face. "I love this song!" she laughed, turning it up. Inuyasha had his right hand on the wheel and the left on the window frame. Because the tracker was an American made car, the wheel was on the left of the cab and not the right, this had taken some getting used to but his depth perception kept him from knicking other drivers.

Kagome turned to Inuyasha, a smile spread across her lips, counting silently on her fingers while mouthing the words " _one two three"_ then broke into the first verse enthusiastically,

 _My baby don't mess around_

 _Because she loves me so_

 _And this i know fo shooo_

 _But does she really wanna_

 _But can't stand to see me_

 _Walk out the door_

 _Don't try to fight the feelin_

 _Cause the thought alone_

 _Is killin me right noow_

 _Thank God for mom and dad_

 _For stickin two together_

 _cause we don't know how_

Then came the "Hey ya"s. The first few, Kagome did by herself. But by hey ya number 5 she beckoned Inuyasha to join. Finally, after being hey ya'd at, he gave a monotone and unenthusiastic "Hey ya." Kagome laughed and shoved his shoulder, rolling down her window and finishing the song with her eyes closed, her right hand catching the breeze as she absent-mindedly fiddled with the tiny pink rhodochrosite ring on her middle finger. The sterling silver band had an etched leaf pattern with a bow and arrow made from vines. It had been a gift from her grandfather after she won first place in the national archery competition in highschool.

As the radio continued with more mellow tunes, Kagome looked at the ring now and thought of her grandfather that day. " _I picked this stone just for you, Kagome."_ He'd said, holding the delicate hand-crafted ring out to her. " _It's from Argentina. It's supposed to improve your eyesight, bring you love and release psychological stress. It is a stone of love and balance and can help bring inner freedom by allowing you to sort out inner conflicts._ " He had then placed the ring on her right middle finger and held her smaller, elegant hands in his as he looked back up at her through wise eyes, " _It heals your heart chakra."_ he'd added, patting her hand gently, " _and it gives you more self-confidence and ability to handle life problems. And don't forget it energizes the pancreas and liver!"_ Kagome laughed then, remembering her grandfathers face when she had cocked a brow at him and asked, " _Chakra? Grandpa.. You're Shinto. That's Tantric Buddhism." "Nonetheless child. Keep it with you. May your eyes be set on your goal ahead and may your heart be strong enough to reach it."_

" _May your heart be strong enough to reach it.."_ she sighed, rolling the band with her thumb. " _That's just it. How do i know if it isnt?"_

Inuyasha turned onto the road that boasted the large sorority Sigma Phi Chi, Sango's women's only sorority for chiropractic care. He could already see that tonight was going to be sketchy at best. "They're getting creative." Kagome noted, rolling the window up as they parked. Inuyasha quirked a dark brow at her, unsure by what she meant in the statement. She deftly pointed at the 2 story sorority, seeming unamused. "They got a miko to anchor a noise-canceling barrier to the house. Once you cross the threshhold, you are able to hear what's going on. Otherwise everything looks normal." Inuyasha nodded his head. Pretty smart for humans. But he knew this wasn't a human only event.

After locking his doors (didn't want drunk college kids hooking up in his car) they headed towards the stage where the nights events would play out. Standing at the door was a small and energetic water imp named Hikarimasu who, until tonight, had always seemed to Inuyasha to be a serious, studious type who put too much effort into school. She held a wicker basket with a divider. One side had orange pills where the other held green. "Drugs? At the door?" Kagome asked, taken back by the boldness. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his friend's naivety. "No. Suppressants and Enhancers. Suppressants for demons to allow them to be in such a high-sensory environment. It dulls their senses and let's them relax more and be easier around a human group. Enhancers for the humans to bring them to the level off the demons. It makes the humans need less alcohol and the demons need even more. But they kind of even the playing field. Watching a bunch of humans on that junk is pretty funny. They tend to whisper and get really wide eyes and just kind of float around. " Once he finished his description, they had almost reached the door. Directly before reaching the doors, a couple of young girls were stopped in their tracks by an invisible force, unable to move forward.

Kagome snorted and kept walking, leaving Inuyasha to be the one needing explanation this time. "Age barrier." Hikarimasu smiled, handing Kagome a green pill and handing one out for Inuyasha to take. "No thanks," he snorted, moving past her, "I aint about my senses bein dulled." He happened to look back just as Kagome downed the pill. "I'm hardcore," she winked, "I don't need water for my pills.". Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha flattened his ears at the loud thumping from the bass. He had one stop to make before he did anything else. He followed his nose and found exactly who he was looking for at the DJ booth.

The tall, angular man in front of him boasted fiery red hair, cut short in an under-cut style with the top slightly longer than the sides. His pointed ears had small jade gauges in the lobes and his eyes boasted a similar piercing green. "Shippo. How in the hell did you get past that age barrier." Inuyasha growled, upset that the 17 year old kit was DJ'ing a college party with this type of inter-mingling. "What? No 'It's nice to see you, it's been a while' huh? Just straight to the grumpy old dog routine? What a buzz kill." The handsome young man laughed, his three long and elegant kitsune tails waved around him playfully. "And fun fact, Inu-dogface. Get here before they put the barrier up and you're immune. Lawyered." He laughed, replacing his headphones over one ear. Inuyasha looked down to the boys legs and growled again. This kind of nonchalance tended to cause an issue with humans who were unaware of many demons natural forms. "And your legs? Seriously?" he snapped, thumping the Kitsune across the head. "Hey!" Shippo whined, rubbing the now tender spot by his neck, "These humans have seen paws before, damnit. And I'm already going to be using a fuck-ton of illusion tonight for the party and can't really afford to be using it on myself. I'm getting paid for this gig and need it to be top-notch so i get more college parties!" He grumbled, flashing a fang in Inuyasha's direction. He was always being treated like some little kid by him.

"Shippo!" a feminine voice called, pushing her way through the crowd towards the couple. "Kagome!" Shippo cheered, stepping down to give the girl a tight hug. She stood eye-level with his nose now and that little fact made him smile. "Those are new joggers." Kagome noted, pointing to the pants Shippo wore that were baggy in the thigh area and form fitting for a few inches under his backwards-bent knee. "Yup! I'm surprised you noticed! At least SOMEONE cares that i'm here.." He faked upset as he covered his face with his forearm, his claw tipped hand facing palm out. He stepped back into the booth and fiddled with the knobs and slides for a moment before the song changed and Akon came over the speakers.

"I Wanna Love You" started and Shippo looked back at the two with a raised brow and sharp grin. The colored lights that Kagome hadn't noticed before in the dim room began to flash along with the song. When Akon said the words " _I wanna love you"_ Shippo caught Inuyasha's eye and devilishly mouthed the words. Changing "love" to the unedited versions "fuck" and did a slow pelvis thrust and pointed at Kagome as she watched the crowd. When Inuyasha growled a warning to the boy Shippo called over the music to Kagome, gathering her attention, "Hey 'Gome! Whats Inuyasha's favorite rapper?" he asked, obviously trying to get a rise out of Inuyasha. Before she could guess he answered, "Snoop Dogg!" just as Snoop's part begun in the song " _Money in the air as mo' fair. Grab you by your coattail..Take you to the motel 'ho sale."_

Laughing, the kitsune delved into his work, the ethereal lights flashed evenly with the lyrics and the bass thumped loudly as dancers moved to the beat. Kagome could see now that the lights came from virtually nowhere and were obviously a work of Kitsune magic. She took note how much he had grown since she had first met him when he was 4 and she was 9. She had always babied him and treated him like she did her own little brother, Souta. Now he was a handsome young demon with promise and talent and she couldn't have been any more proud of him if she had tried.

Seeing Sango, Kagome waved goodbye to Inuyasha as she pushed her way through the crowd to her best friend. Inuyasha watched as she disappeared among the mass of people's bobbing heads and swaying bodies. God did he hate crowds, and if it hadn't been for the fact that Koga was meaning to make an appearance tonight, he wouldn't have showed up at all. Leaning back against the wall, he kept one ear strained in Kagome's direction, taking in her conversation with Sango as she was introduced to other sorority members and given her first drink of the night. Inuyasha growled under his breath, if she was fed drinks like that for the night she was going to end up in a coma. He needed to watch her and ensure her safety at all cost.

His other ear kept a lookout for any conflict. In parties like this there tended to be fights, and like hell he was going to risk any of his friends getting hurt because some drunk college kids wanted to scrap. His hair on the back of his neck stood on end, something just wasn't right about tonight. But Kagome had her heart set on this party. They were only an hour in and he was already itching to go home. Huffing, he crossed his arms and zoned out the noise, trying to make this all go by quicker.

Across the house, Kagome accepted a mixed drink from a petite hair demon named Yura who happened to have a thing for Inuyasha. Her sickeningly sweet voice almost made Kagome roll her eyes as she was asked about the aforementioned hanyou. "He was back with Shippo that last I saw him.. Maybe I should go find him," She started, turning back towards where her friend had last been. Suddenly she was hit in the face with a sudden blown smoke. A tall Impish demon held onto his pipe as he blew smoke into her face once again. "Excuse you." She coughed, waving the smoke away. Suddenly her head began to swim and everything seemed to be moving half of a second to slow. "Enjoy the night." The man laughed, leaned in towards the girl. "Kisumidake!" A girl whined, grabbing the man's arm and pulling him towards her, "They have jello shots down stairs! We have to go now if we want any of the good flavors!"

Kagome was left alone with strangers for the first time in the night, unaware of Sango's disappearance. "Here." Yura smiled, handing her another drink. Kagome downed it without a question and giggled into the back of her hand as Yura stroked her hair gently. "I know who wants to see you." the demon mewed, taking her hand and leading her towards the kitchen.

His ears pinned towards where Kagome had been moments before. Something sinister was going on and he would be damned if he allowed anything to happen to her. Before he even knew where to go, he was on the move. He would find her and he would get her out of this place. No matter what kind of force it took.

* * *

 **a/n**

 **okay so im so sorry if this is rushed. I have certain plot points in my head and it was so hard getting to this point you dont even know. Hopefully I wont take so ungodly long to update.**

 **but edgy Shippo? anyone? any takers? am i dumb for this? does it work? plz halp?**

 **thank you guys so much for being so supportive. I absolutely adore your comments so please keep them up, even if its criticism!**

 **its late now. so Im going to try and sleep. r/r! love ya!**

 **-EtS**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. I'm sorry about the delay in chapter publication. For those who know me you are aware that i gave birth to my son 30 January 2017 so I have been dealing with a newborn. But thanks to the constant support from my friends i have (mostly) gotten over my block and am attempting to finish this little guy the best i can!** **This chapter starts out DIRECTLY after the last. It might read as confusing and im sorry if its choppy. This was a rather difficult plot point to get around and I still dont feel like i executed it well so I apologize if it sucks and seems forced.** **Please forgive the absence and i now hope to update bi-weekly. (please dont hold me to that..) anyways. Thank you to the 3 total people who read this junk lol i love and appreciate you so much.** **no songs in this chapter. enjoy**

* * *

Inuyasha set his jaw as he shoved his way past demons and humans alike. As soon as he made his way to the kitchen, what he saw stopped him in his tracks. Turning her chair, Kikyo turned her eyes to the hanyou in front of her, waving off the girl she had been talking to. "Ki-Kikyo" He stammered, unable to bring forth anything worthwhile to say. "Follow me." She beckoned, grabbing her wheels and pushing her chair to a room off of the main one that was used for storage. Of course he followed, unable to say no to anything Kikyo were to request of him. The door half-closed behind him as he watched her turn to face him. She was in a flowy white top and a pair of skinny jeans and black flats. Her long, board straight black hair was up in a pony tail trailing down her back. Inuyasha averted his eyes as they fell back to her legs, which he knew bore scars from the accident.

She then moved, getting something from the backpack that hung on the back of her chair. Inuyasha tilted his head as watched intently, trying to listen for any hint of what she was doing.

"Come here, Inuyasha." She called, tilting her head towards a chair to her right. The silver haired man walked slowly to her side, taking a seat. Then suddenly, a clear bottle was shoved at him. "Drink." she ordered, her face straight and void of any emotion to give him an idea as to what was going on. As if entranced by her cold demeanor, Inuyasha took the bottle and unscrewed the metal top, not even bothering to read the label. Maybe if he had then the events that followed would have gone differently.

After downing half of the bottle, Inuyasha was more than a little blitzed. "The fuck is this shit, Kiks?" he mumbled, squinting as he tried to make out the letters that swam in his vision. "Inuyasha. Did you ever love me?" Kikyo asked, reaching out and running her fingers through Inuyasha's silver tresses. The man in question turned towards her, leaning to the halfway point between their bodies. " Love you? I was crazy about you, Kiks. I'd do anything for you, you know that. I mean. It was my fault that you're.." she cut him off then, making him look her in the eye. She then reached out and took his chin in her hand and locked their gazes. He was stuck in her trap with no way out. Everything was moving along perfectly.

Hearing two approaching voices and the duel clicking of high heels as her cue, Kikyo brought the hanyou closer before the alcohol ran itself out of his superhuman system. Bringing their lips together, she forced her body out of the chair and on top of Inuyasha's, making him lose his balance on the chair and fall onto his back, with Kikyo draped over him. "Kikyo.. What the f-" he whispered before his vision focused on the shape silhouetting the doorway. A pair of pink pumps and forever long legs led up to a navy shirt with carnation print and a black lace top. Inky black waves laid over the shoulders of the owner. Her face ashen as her pouty pink lips hung open in surprise. Behind her, Yura gently touched her hair, her sickeningly sweet voice mocking sympathy. "Oh Kagome, honey. It looks like we are interrupting something. I could have sworn he said he wanted to see YOU in here… I guess i was wrong…"

Before Inuyasha even had a chance to right the situation, the smell of salt hit his nose and made it twitch. " _Oh no.."_ As quickly as she arrived, Kagome ran into the crowd, her black waves disappearing in a sea of supernatural beings. The next smell to catch him was wolf. HUNGRY wolf. "Inuyasha.. Now that she's gone.." Kikyo attempted, trying to hide her smirk as she played with his bangs. "GET OFF, KIKYO." He growled, standing quickly, taking her with him. He then sat her in her chair and gave her a sharp glare, his left fang peaking out from beneath his upper lip as it curled into a snarl.

As fast as he could, Inuyasha burst into the crowd, following his now mostly sober nose and following Kagome's distressed scent to the back patio. As he pushed the back door open he saw Kagome over by the pop-up bar. Taking an impressive drink of whatever the bartender had given her. Before he could approach her gently, what he saw next had his blood boiling.

Koga. The rat-bastard swooped up to Kagome, his clawed hand playing at the edges of her short skirt and his mouth hovering over her right ear. Before he could control his body, Inuyasha stalked forward, a thrumming growl ripping from his throat, but he stopped dead when her words to Koga met his ears. "No. I'm here alone. _HE_ has better things.. Or should i say _people_ to do. " " _FUCK_ " Inuyasha cursed mentally. She was pissed. She was so beyond pissed. Inuyasha might have backed down and sulked somewhere.. If Koga hadn't have made his next move. The wolf ground his erection into Kagome's bare thigh, drawing his fingers up her skirt and against her bare skin. Inuyasha smelled the muffled panic in her scent, the alcohol clouding her inhibitions. But he knew for damn sure that she didn't want this, no matter how mad she was at him.

As quickly as he dared without hurting her, Inuyasha sped over and snatched Kagome from Koga's grasp, shoving a fist into the shit-stain's throat. "Inu.. What are you doing?!" Kagome protested, avoiding eye contact with him as she took in her feet hovering inches off of the floor and the drink she had been abusing spilled all over the front of her party dress. Inuyasha sat her on a stool quickly and balled his fist into Koga's blazer, pushing him to the wall of the house so forcibly that a small crack formed in the stone surrounding Koga's head.

"I told you." Inuyasha snarled, his animalistic snarls barely forming audible words as he snapped his glistening fangs in Koga's face. Red and gold met ice and the party around them stopped. "Stay the FUCK away from Kagome. " Koga, seeming extra bold despite the danger, cocked a brow and looked over Inuyasha's shoulder to the obviously smashed young woman trying to dab the mixed drink out of her dress with some water. "Now.. why would you care? It seems that poor Kagome saw something she didn't necessarily want to. And now I think she might enjoy my company to yours MUTT." Koga spat, his smirk sent a new wave of fury through Inuyasha's body. Knowing it would be dangerous to really let his demon out, he settled with shoving his forearm into Koga's throat as he snarled his canine warning. Koga watched through increasingly foggy eyes as the red bled more into Inuyasha's eyes, the golden irises twinging blue.

The sound of cracking stone sent Koga into survival mode and he shot out a knee into Inuyasha's solar plexus, temporarily knocking the wind out of him. He took that split second of weakness and threw an elbow into the hanyou's temple and escaped his grip. A ragged cough brought drunk Kagome's attention to what was happening but before she could focus on the action a thin clawed hand rested on her shoulder and she turned to meet the teal gaze of Shippo. The young demon's face was pulled tight in worry as he watched the two men sizing each other up. "Shippo baaaby!" Kagome giggled, ruffling the young man's copper colored undercut. "Kags.." He sighed, seeing the true weight of the situation, his tails twitched behind him angrily. Inuyasha was going to ruin everything.

Before the two locked up in another brawl, the kitsune sent a small burst of light directly to Koga, making the wolf jump up and back out of the way. And just according to Shippo's plan, the wolf demon was too distracted to realize he set himself directly over the pool. Before Inuyasha could jump at the weakness and possibly drown Koga, Shippo set an illusion over the hanyou, a mist that held the scent of lavender. Instantly, Inuyasha dropped his defensive position and looked around, confused. Shippo let Kagome go, leaving her to try and get another drink from the bar. Lucky enough, the demon in charge of the drinks cut her off, sensing how terribly drunk she was. The fox demon made his way to Inuyasha and bared his fangs in reprimand. "I sensed your youki from the fucking dance floor." The boy snarled, glancing back at Kagome, who had just decided she didn't want to wear her heels any more. "Listen," Shippo started, holding his hand up to stop Inuyasha's smart mouth. "It's already 2am. Take Kagome home. She's too drunk. It smells like someone hit her with an alcoholic vapor. Just.. get her out of here. " Shippo begged, his thin copper brows knitting as Kagome toppled onto her butt while trying to take off her left heel. A cascade of giggles and mixed in sad sobs came from the girl as she accidentally flashed the group of young male lynx demons while trying to right herself.

"I don't care what happened. And she probably won't remember. Just go. " Shippo begged to a torn Inuyasha. He was afraid to confront her now. But Shippo had a point. "Keh… thanks kit.." Inuyasha mumbled, hurrying over to Kagome before she had a chance to embarrass herself any more.

Inuyasha bent and gathered her heels in one hand and picked her up and not-so-gracefully flung her over his shoulder like a caveman. Shippo watched and rolled his eyes, wading back through the people to get back to the DJ booth.

"Put me down, Inuyasha!" Kagome slurred, kicking her legs as she balled her fist into his jacket, trying to bring her head up. "Quit wigglin.." He grumbled, trying to hold her skirt down with one hand as he made his way through the people, trying to get to the door.

As Inuyasha carried her to his truck, Kagome tried to focus on the events of the night prior to her crashing Inuyasha and Kikyo's two person party. Everything was kinda hazy but slowly, the events knitted together.

 _Yura pulled her through the crowd to a small side room, In the dimly lit area sat a man in a white fur jacket, his thin and delicate hands knitted together beneath his chin as he cocked his head in their direction, his red tinted eyes glistening with an unspoken enjoyment of his view. Kagome's head had begun to swim, her cheeks pinking as she fanned herself. SHe was getting warmer by the second and found i really hard not to sway. "So you are the girl I've heard about.." the man breathed, leaning back onto the couch. His long, wavy black hair was draped over his shoulders and Kagome wondered if he would be offended if she touched it._

" _I've been watching you, Kagome Higurashi. It seems that you have caused a problem for me. " He sighed, cocking his head sideways, seeming to take her in. Looking over to Yura, an unnoticed gesture was shared, sending the woman back out of the room._

 _Kagome was left with the unnamed man. If she had been in sane mind she may have noticed the malicious gleam in his eyes as he appraised her. But instead she was too busy looking at his hair. Man.. it was just so long._

" _Miss Higurashi. You love Inuyasha, don't you?"_

 _Taken back by his words, Kagome was left stammering. How did he know this about her? Who was this man? "Who are you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Oh, please accept my apology. I have been rude. My name is Onigumo. But I insist you answer my question Lady Kagome. Do. You. Love. Inuyasha?" he prodded, his thin brows knitted under his wavy bangs. "I.. uh… I..I mean.." she stuttered, her eyes drawn to the floor in embarrassment. Before she could continue, Yura re-appeared, her sleek black bob bouncing as she poked her head into the room. "Kagome! I found Inuyasha! He said he wants to see you alone in the storage room by the kitchen. "_

 _At the mention of Inuyasha, Kagome's torn attention moved to Yura and she nodded her head, her cheeks tinting. Quickly she followed Yura out of the room, pausing only to bow to Onigumo, apologizing for her quick departure._

 _Onigumo watched as the girl followed Yura, fixing her skirt and smoothing down her hair as if what she was about to see would be anything other than devastating to her small and fragile human heart. A part of Onigumo felt remorse for the young girl. But this was part of Kikyo's stipulations. And if he was going to have her to himself, he needed to follow her plans._

 _It just seemed a tad excessive to shatter the girl like this. And Onigumo, himself, had always been one for flares of excess._

* * *

 **a/n: Hey guys! me again. Something i wanted to make note about was i do A LOT of research and meaning behind the smallest things and have placed (and will continue to place) several Easter Eggs through this story! i am aware that Sororities and Fraternities do not exist in Japan and they instead apply a "club" system. But seeing as though i am more aware of the Greek system that is what i have gone with. Okay. I'm going to stop rambling now. I'm glad y'all have stuck around! XOXO!**

 **-EtS**


	5. Chapter 5

**Song inspiration : "Say you wont let go" by James Arthur.**

* * *

"Put me DOWN, Inuyasha.." Kagome slurred, bouncing on his shoulder as he made his way to the tracker. "I swear I will vomit all over your back if you don't put me down right now." she threatened, closing her eyes and coming to terms with the fact that it was more of a promise than a threat at this point.

Lucky for her, they had arrived at the red beast and Inuyasha unlocked the car and jerked the passenger door open and set her down. Kagome, on the other hand, was not thankful for the action and crossed her arms in a pout as he tossed her heels in the floorboard, secured her seat belt and closed the door on her. Inuyasha hauled himself into the driver's seat and cranked the tracker,rolling down the windows in hope that the cool air might sober his passenger up some before she decided that his floorboard was a good place to deposit the nights alcohol. As he turned on to the road, Kagome closed her eyes and let the cool air kiss her flushed cheek. " We should go to the park." Kagome mumbled, smiling at the sounds of cicadas. "No. You need to get some rest. You're too drunk to be out in public." Inuyasha growled, aggravated at the whole situation.

Kagome opened her eyes and turned to him, raising her hands and waving them around and pointing at him while scowling, her voice winey and heavily mocking, "My names Inuyasha and you need rest. You're too drunk. I hate people. I don't play well with others. I wear old, obscure band tees no one understands because i'm too cool for regular clothes. I make out with my ex at parties, look at me. FEH." She grumbled, letting her hands fall into her lap as she looked back out the window, the trees flashing by in a giant blur. Inuyasha growled at her and raised his voice, pointing an accusing claw at the pouting girl next to him. "Okay. First thing. Frankie Goes to Hollywood is a fantastic band and that song is about not blowin' yer load and that's hilarious, you hear me? Second thing, you DO need rest. It's almost 3 in the morning and you are too drunk. You can't even walk straight. And THIRD thing, people and demons are fuckin idiots and don't deserve my attention. And last thing.. " his voice falling as he ran his free hand through his hair, scraping his claws along his scalp.

He let out a deep, violent sigh and punched the dashboard hard enough to send a crack along the seem. Kagome jumped at the sudden movement and stared at him with wide eyes. " I… UGH. i didn't WANT to kiss her!" he snarled, gripping the steering wheel with an alarming amount of strength. "She jumped on me.." He looked over and saw her judgemental look, " I mean. She didn't JUMP. but she caught me off guard. I was just kinda shocked to see her there and then she slipped me that demon alcohol and then she was just ON me. And it wasn't MAKING OUT. There wasn't any tongue. It was barely a kiss. I was essentially assaulted. " he mumbled, flexing his fingers so he wouldn't break the wheel and kill them.

"Inuhyasha…" Kagome started, sounding like she had a rebuttal. Inuyasha cut her off, waving his hand at her. "I don't wanna hear it, Kags! I don't want her! I just know that it was my fault that her life was ruined 'cause of me and what else am I supposed to do?! Just be like 'Oh Hi Kikyo. I know I was the reason that you're paralysed because of me but no, i don't want to even give ya five fuckin minutes to talk. ' No! That's fucked up and I know I aint the best but damn, Kags. Do you really think that I should be that cold?" Kagome swallowed and put her left hand on the dash, closing her eyes. "Inuhhyasha, imma be sick." "She isnt a bad person, Kags! A little misguided at times and she can be kinda cold but it's nothing to be that dramatic about!" He growled, throwing his hands up in an exasperation.

"No. I mean if you dunn pull over 'en imma barf all over yer car." She garbled, her eyes rolling as she wiped sweat from her brow. "Shit!" Inuyasha whispered under his breath, pulling over safely to the side of the road as Kagome fumbled with the seat belt and opened the door. She sat there for a minute, taking in deep breaths as the warm night air caressed her. Inuyasha struggled with himself, reaching out his hand to touch her in the back but stopping an inch away. He had to flex his fingers and flex his hand into a fist to stop the urge. He turned back toward the wheel and gripped the steering wheel, stopping himself from doing something stupid. "Okay. Mmm good." She mumbled, closing the door and fastening the belt around her. Inuyasha sighed as he let the tracker take them to her apartment. The rest of the ride was silent as Kagome took in deep breaths to try and settle her stomach and Inuyasha leaned his head into his left hand, trying to wrain in his thoughts.

When they got to her complex, Inuyasha circled the truck and opened her door. He quickly relieved her of the seat belt and pulled her into his arms, bridal style. At this point, Kagome wasn't even putting up a fight any more, resting her head against his shoulder as he thumped his way up the stairs and opened her door. Buyo mrrowed his welcome before swaying his way back into Kagome's bedroom. "Lemme down. I needa pee an wash muh face." Kagome mumbled, rubbing her eyes like a small child. Inuyasha walked her to the door of her bathroom and set her down gently, holding his hands beside her for a moment to endure her stability, before tossing his leather jacket on the couch and making his way to the kitchen. He listened as her bare feet slapped the tile as she went about her tasks while he pulled one of his beers out of her fridge and popped the cap with his thumb nail. He sighed out his frustrations and took a long pull of the beer. But surprise hit him as choked on the cool liquid when he heard a thump and a crash of glass.

Tossing the bottle into the sink, Inuyasha rushed to Kagome's bathroom door. "Kagome! Are you okay?!" He shouted, thumping the broad side of his fist against the door.

He pressed his ear against the wood and heard her moaning, the gentle sound echoing across porcelain. He opened the door and spotted Kagome immediately. She had knocked the jar in which she kept her toothbrush into the bathtub while she fell. Now her head was hanging in the open toilet bowl, one hand trying desperately to hold back her thick waves from the water.

He let out a worried sigh as he rushed over to her, sitting down between her and the tub, and held her hair back for her as she threw up. After a few good deposits, Kagome held her hand out and Inuyasha obliged by handing her a wad of toilet paper. He then grabbed her toothbrush, toothpaste and plastic water cup and filled it. She took it without question and scrubbed her teeth and spit out the remnants. Quietly, he sat back behind her and rubbed her back. What he didn't expect was her next move. Kagome looked over her shoulder, making direct eye contact, and gave him a genuine smile. For a minute, Inuyasha was stone cold sober as he pulled her into his lap and against his chest.

Kagome nuzzled her face into his collarbone and played with the edge of his sleeve. "It's pretty late and i know you're tired... You should stay here with me.." She whispered, drawing her fingers across his arm. His hair stood up on the back of his neck as goosebumps slowly spread across his body. Slowly, he swallowed the lump in his throat as he fumbled for what to say. Finally he got his bearings. She was still drunk. Very drunk. And no matter how many night he had dreamed of her asking this exact question, he knew that there was no way he could take advantage of her weakness like this. Letting out a short chuckle, he shook his head as he mumbled back into her hair, "I already told ya, woman. You needa get some rest."

With that he stood, bringing her with him, and carried her to her room. Gently laying her on her bed, he pushed her bangs back and leaned down, his lips inched from her forehead. Instead of moving any further, Inuyasha tucked her in and patted her leg, his jaw clenched tightly. As he went to move away, Kagome's hand shot from beneath the comforter and entangled her fingers in his. "Kagome, I need t-" "Stay. I need you. Stay." She whispered, her lids already falling. His heart thrashed in his chest as he looked at her soft face, her gentle smile. "Say you won't let go." She mumbled, her eyes closing. "Say it…" Before Inuyasha had a chance to say anything at all, her breathing evened out and she fell immediately to sleep.

Inuyasha took a moment then to look at her, snuggled up beneath the blankets, and let out a small canine whine as his hands came up to lace behind his head. Tilting his jaw back, he looked at the ceiling and sighed heavily before letting his arms fall to his sides. He then scrubbed his face with his hand as he grabbed his jacket and made his way out of the apartment, locking the door, and headed down to the beast. After essentially throwing himself into the tracker, he began the lonely ride home.

The ride back was quiet and happened in a blurr, as if it was happening to someone else and not him. But reality set back in when he had to extricate himself and make his trek to his home and subsequently, his own bed.

Once his destination was reached, Inuyasha barely made effort to undress, simply unbuttoning and stepping out of his jeans as he pulled his Tee over his head and threw it, with practiced precision, into the bin in the corner. Now clad only in his boxer-briefs, he was left alone with his thoughts.

" _She said she needed me… and that look.. There's no way she meant anything by it. She was drunk. She probably would have said the same thing to a lamp shade if we would-a stayed at that party long enough. But why was she so upset about Kikyo? Was she..was she jealous? NO. You idiot. She's just your friend. Deal with it and quit makin mountains outta molehills."_ he argued with himself, clicking his tongue ring against the back of his teeth. After what seemed like an eternity, his eyes drifted closed and the tension he had been carrying in his shoulders melted away. It seemed the only time he was able to relax now-a-days was in his sleep.

 _I really wish she would put dates on these boxes"_ He thought, lifting a Tupperware container of leftover rice from last night and placing its contents in the rice cooker, the ring on his left hand clinking on the countertop. He added a small amount of cream and closed the lid, setting it for porridge. The single-serve coffee maker bubbled to life and soon he was sipping on a cup of a dark blend coffee while scratching his stomach under his shirt. Small feet padded into the kitchen and he turned with an arched brow to greet them. "Mornin squirt." he chuckled, watching as his youngest dragged himself into a chair at the island and rubbed his eyes. "Mernin Dad.." he mumbled, grabbing a banana from the fruit basket in front of him and peeling it, eyes still closed. "Where's your sister?" Inuyasha asked, oiling up the skillet on the stove and placing a couple of filleted mackerel down. "Iono. I thiiink she's still gettin' dressed." Kazuki sighed, running his hand through his shaggy white hair before allowing his hand to fall to the shell of his human ear, dull human nails scratching gently. Inuyasha plopped a plate of toast and jam in front of his son. "Smells like she's putting on makeup." Kazuki growled, his nose twitching. Inuyasha sighed and set the spatula down. "If we are late again, I swear imma snatch that damn stereo out of the wall." He grumbled. He hated that she was now 14 and thought that she was to defiant adn felt that she needed to put on that crap. She had flawless porcelain skin, thanks to him and her mother.

He scratched his eyebrow with his claw as he made his way to the guest bathroom. Sure enough, as he got closer, he smelled the powders and goos that she used. Thumping he broad side of his fist against the door he raised his voice over her music. "KAORI. Get yer ass in the kitchen. We got 20 minutes 'fore we gotta leave." He growled, knowing that if he didnt stay on her ass then she would make them late..again. "I heard you in the kitchen. You dont need to repeat yourself. I can hear everything in this house. EVERYTHING." she enunciated dramatically. Inuyasha felt the heat travel to his face as he clenched his fist. She had his attitude and he HATED IT. "Then don't make us FUCKING LATE." he snapped, pressing his thumb and index finger into the inner corners of his eyes.

As he made his way back into the kitchen, he passed his son and scratched his back for a moment, the 11 year old curled in on himself and let out a gentle growl. Inuyasha chuckled as he walked over to the stove and flipped the fish as his son shivered and shook his head. "You comin' to my game tonight?" Kazuki asked, yawning. "It's at 7, right? yeah. I should be out of work by then." His ear twitched as he heard his daughter enter the room. Quickly, he set the fish on a plate and spooned the porridge into a bowl. He sighed as he turned to the coffee maker and set it up for a new cup and waited for it to brew. Turning to address his daughter, he almost choked when he looked at her. His little girl had her thick, wavy black hair in a high ponytail, her black canine ears twitching as she observed him all the same. She also had her dark brows arched and cat-eye eyeliner and a light pink gloss on her lips. "THAT SKIRT SHOULD BE BY YOUR KNEES." He snapped, gripping the side of the counter with splintering strength. "This is how all the girls wear their skirts, DAD. Get with the times. I'm not some miko that needs to remain covered from freakin chin to toe." She retorted, grabbing some toast from her brother's plate.

Inuyasha bit his tongue until he could taste a tang of iron before grabbing the tray food and coffee cup and heading to his room, stopping at the kitchen walkway." We will talk about this in a minute." he snapped at his daughter. He then went down the hallway and backed into his door, opening it slowly. He took in the form bundled up on the king sized bed and smiled, setting the tray on the nightstand. He then lowered himself to the bed and pulled the covers away from the figures head. "Hey, Kagome. Breakfast is on the night stand. I'm takin' the runts to school. I'll meet you at the pitch for Zuki's game at 6:30. Also, you needa talk to your daughter about her choice of clothes because i swear I'm going to lock her in the fuckin' attic if she keeps this up." He vented, watching her face as she opened her deep chocolate brown eyes and blinked up at him. "Don't forget to pick up Kaori's present from the post office. Mom said that she should be in some time tomorrow." "Gotcha." he smiled, leaning down and giving her a quick but gentle kiss. "Love you, bye!" she called out to the house as he slipped on his shoes and headed back to the living room. "LOVE YOU,BYE!" her kids yelled back. As Inuyasha herded his children into his car, he thought about that night so many years ago that lead him to where he was now. When she looked over her shoulder and asked him to stay with her. And he did. Looking down to his lap, he grabbed his keys out of his pocket and looked over to his daughter as he started the car. "Im turning on the radio." She stated, turning the nob. The noise that came out of the speakers didnt match. It disoriented him. "Dad?" he heard her ask. " _Dad."_

Lurching forward, Inuyasha gasped for breath as he looked around his apartment. The alarm on his phone went off relentlessly. Everything was normal. He looked to his left hand and was greeted with nothing. No ring. Nothing. "That was all a dream?" He asked, staring at his hands. he felt something on his cheek and reached up, feeling something wet greet him. His fingers came back and were glistening. "What the fuck?" he whispered, wiping away the tears. He looked at his phone. _6:45 AM ._ He turned it off and shook his head.

Plopping back down, he stared at the ceiling, his heart thumping. " _Why am I so upset if it wasn't even real? Maybe cause it wont ever be. Maybe cause the only time she looks at me like I'm somethin' is when she's drunk. Is this cause she said she needed me?"_ Thoughts raced through his head as the sun slowly began to peek over the horizon. With nothing else to to but be alone with his thoughts, Inuyasha closed his eyes and waited. For what, he didn't know.

* * *

 **I'm sorry, once again, for the delay. And i tried to make this one a little longer. My issue is that i have a lot of this story in sections in my head so its hard to exceed those. But thank you guys so so so much for sticking around! I would love to say the next chapter will be up relatively soon, but i don't make it a habit to lie to people. If it is, awesome. If it isn't.. please don't leave me. But thank you so much for reading. Please leave a review (they actually motivate me) Once again. Thanks for sticking around!**

 **love- EtS**


	6. Chapter 6

**Inspiration for this chapter- "Tee Shirt" by Birdy and "The Way I Feel Inside" cover by Taron Egerton**

* * *

As the Sunday morning sun broke through the small crack in her curtains, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and blindly slapped her hand on the bedside table in search of a water bottle. Quickly, her hand found a fresh bottle and a packet of aspirin, which she gladly took. Her dream from that night was now slowly leaving her memory. In her dream, she and Inuyasha had visited a beach in Thailand that she had been lusting after for years. But now as she blinked away the sleepy fog, his laughing face slowly went fuzzy and became impossible to recall. "What happened last night?" Kagome mumbled before sipping her water and replacing the top. Laying back down, she brought her knees to her chest as the previous night's endeavors rushed back to her. "Oh no." she whispered, her hands coming up slowly to hide her face. " _I seriously threw a jealous fit, got hammered, started a fist fight between Inuyasha and Koga , had to be taken home and cared for like a child by said dog-boy and i tried to make a move on him?! That's it. I'm done. I'm moving to Italy and am going to become a nun in a convent somewhere far away from alcohol and.. Him."_ the thought, glancing over at her phone that had lit up. It was only the daily word from her dictionary app. Turning slightly, she tapped on the pop-up and unlocked her phone, reading the definition out loud while squinting against the phones harsh light.

"Convoluted. [kon- _vuh_ -loo-tid] Native Origin: English. -adjective. 1. Twisted; coiled. 2. Complicated; intricately involved."

Kagome deadpanned as she re-read the words on her screen. "Are you fucking kidding me." she mumbled, exiting out if the app and locking her phone again.

Remembering that she didn't know the time, she clicked the lock button to check and was greeted by her lock screen. The picture had been taken this past winter at the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival on Hokkaido. They had taken the full 10 hour train ride with Sango and Miroku to see this beautiful display of lights. The picture, itself, was of Kagome and Inuyasha on a bridge, the snow falling around them. In the background you could see the ethereal glow of the hundreds of lanterns that adorned the streets and barren trees and some that had been set free to dance in the sky among the fat flakes. The two in question were against the railing of the bridge, Kagome sitting on it and Inuyasha propped up against it. Kagome was leaned against him, her inside hand on his opposite shoulder and the other up in a peace sign. Her eyes were closed and she was laughing. Inuyasha, on the other hand, looked defeated as he gave a tired smile and rested his chin against the top of her head, his arm around her waist by Miroku's request. Kagome smiled as she remembered that trip. It had been a very spur-of-the-moment trip for all of them, and memories that would last a lifetime.

Kagome brought her knees up to her chin as she opened her phone again, going to her visual-voicemail. It didn't take long to get to a saved voicemail from Inuyasha, himself. Her thumb hovered over the text, not sure if she should listen to it. What would hearing his voice do to her at a moment like this? Taking a breath, she tapped the block and put it on speaker.

" _Hey Kags, It's me. And i gotta question. Why the fuck do you own a phone in the first place if you never answer the damn thing? Huh? Yer 45 minutes late for breakfast and i'm just makin' sure yer lazy ass is out of bed. Cause I aint gonna sit here all day, ya know! I got shit to do! And if you think i'm gonn- Oh. there you are. Hey. before you get over here i'm tellin ya that I was the one that hid that piece of black licorice in your car. I hope that serves you right for tellin' me to 'Sit' like a dog in front of all of our friends last Tuesday. P.S. Yer laugh is stupid when yer nervous. Inu-out."_

She listened to it 3 more times before she decided that it was a little too much. ' _I bet he's wearing that old ratty Japan Rugby jersey that he always sleeps in. It's like it gives him good dreams or something. It was a fluke that he got it in the first place. I bet it smells like him..did he think of me when he woke up? Did.. did he dream of me, too?'_ she thought, clutching her phone to her chest as she shrugged the comforter more towards her head. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING KAGOME!" she exclaimed loudly, her cheeks a bright shame-inducing pink as she covered them with both hands, shaking her head violently. For years she had kept her dangerous feelings for Inuyasha buried deep inside of herself. Sango was the only one she allowed to know of such things. She knew that he saw her as a companion. As a best friend. He saw her as an annoyance at times and even a hindrance because of how clumsy she could be. She was always late - unless it was a very important event, she wasn't a slob!- and seemed to be scatterbrained most of the time. She knew that she wasn't as pretty as Kikyo was. Or as charming or sophisticated. Kikyo had a gentle hand and a classic beauty that she, herself, lacked.

All these feelings that she had repressed for so long were right at the surface and she didn't know how to handle it. Remembering that she, once again, forgot to check the time. Kagome clicked her phone and read the large black numbers that read " 10:49am". Sighing, she scrubbed her face with her hand, allowing her hand to continue into her mop of a hairdo and try to get some tangles out as she gathered some sweats that she planned on donning for the day.

The steam rose gently as she turned the water to the hottest setting. Kagome tiredly stripped off her party dress from the night before, her cute matching bra and panties- no.. she totally hadn't wanted some male attention..she didn't!- and grabbed a face-wash wipe before stepping into the near boiling water. A sigh of relief seeped from her body on its own volition as she tilted her head back and wet her hair. The lavender scented shower cube she had tossed in was doing wonders on relaxing her.

Her mind focused on the sound of the water hitting the tile as her hands lathered in her shampoo to her thick black hair. She wasn't allowing herself to think. Thinking was dangerous and stressful. And this was a time that she wanted to de-stress. But as she leaned her head back to rinse out the foam, She couldn't stop her mind from wandering to a certain boy with a proclivity towards the smell of lavender.

Across town, a similar story unfolded. A hanyou stripped off the boxer-briefs he had worn the night before and his favorite jersey he had donned after his early morning wake-up and stepped into a warm shower, similar to that of a summer rain. His shaggy white hair began to cling to his face and neck as he breathed in the scent of the half of a scented shower cube he had placed in the bottom of the basin. He began to mindlessly go through his routine, a sigh falling from his lips. " _Should I try to act like nothing happened? Will she remember last night at all? That smile? The way she- she asked me to stay the night.._ _Was it all a mistake just because she was drunk? Why was she so mad about Kikyo? Was she ...was she jealous?"_ the thoughts raced through his head as he used his nails to scrub his scalp. The previous night and everything that he had been through had been on a loop behind his eye-lids after waking up from his dream. He had been unable to sleep and had simply caught up on his homework. It was mindless enough and now he had nothing to hinder him in his free time for the next 2 months.

Golden eyes stayed on the floor of the shower as suds danced around the drain grid. The steady drips of water coming from his alabaster bangs keeping time with the beating of his heart. Mindlessly, tanned hands grabbed a bar of soap that he had been given for Christmas. It smelled like pine needles and fresh air and always made him want to go up to the mountains and run. Run like there were fire-demons lapping at his heels. Run until the pain in his thighs from the constant pumping forced him to stop and his lungs grasped for air.

He wanted to run. Run from everything. Run from school and his indecisiveness about majors. Run from work and the constant strain of people getting him to carry heavy loads of boxes filled to the brim with priceless books from one end of the library to the other, up and down the 5 floors of the Tokyo Metro Central Library. Organizing and Alphabetizing hundreds and hundreds of books in the sea of over 2 Million materials. He wanted to run from his friends who seemed to be torn between being worried for him and his decreasing amount of sleep and increasing amount of stress and being angry at him for loading himself with an insurmountable amount of tasks. He wanted to run from the pestering of the people around him that knew about the situation with Kagome. All he wanted to hear was the branches as they zipped mere centimeters away from his skull and the sound as the wind sang to him. He wanted to run to clear his mind of the ink-like ire that had begun to slide itself into the cogs and worm it's way into his attitude.

And he wanted to stop wanting. Stop the feeling of grasping at straws at every turn. Feeling like just because he was bad at words it meant that he was incapable of complex thought or feeling. That his outward exterior made people assume he was a punk or a thug. He wanted to stop being judged for his decisions or lack-thereof. " _Why haven't you talked to her?" "Why do you drop everything the moment she calls you, yet act like shes a burden to you?" "Why do you work at a place with so many books if you aren't going to read them?" "Are you sure that you want to have a major in architecture and design? I hear there's a nice Technical college in Nonoichi."_ Inuyasha bore his teeth as the questions flashed through his mind. He was used to them, but it didn't mean that he didn't understand the undertone. He was dumb to them. Dumb for chasing after Kagome and being too chicken-shit to do anything. Dumb for working at a refined library when he only wore clothes that looked like he lost a fight with a blender from the 80's. Dumb for deciding that his proclivity for dimension and space meant that he might have an upper hand in the design of buildings.

And he was done.

Inuyasha turned the shower off, quickly put on the clothes he had laid out for himself despite still being soaking wet, and grabbed his old canvas backpack. He shoved several essentials in it along with a charge block, some clothes, and his notebook, and shot a quick email to both his boss and his teachers for his classes. And as soon as his thumb hit send, he had locked his door and ran. He was running as fast as his bare feet could take him, allowing the wind to dry himself. He had a place in mind to help him through this. And he didn't care what it took to get there.

* * *

 **A/N- Heyyy it seems that i have a pretty consistent thing going on here. I update once a month and panic about that i'm going to do in between those moments of writing mania. Sorry if any of this seems.. weird or off. I have an outline but this just wanted to be written. I couldn't stop writing it. And hey, if it gets me and update and 2k words then i'm not complaining. But thank you guys so much for sticking around with me. I love this story and have a lot planned for it. As always r/r and let me know how you feel!**

 **-EtS**


	7. Chapter 7

**Written listening to "Toki Wo Koeru Omoi" and the entire Inuyasha OST tbh…**

* * *

" _I apologize, my friend. But you are WHERE?!_ " Inuyasha held his phone at arms length as he rolled his eyes. Miroku rarely raised his voice, but when he did… it was loud. "I SAID i'm at Akan-dake. I got an old friend of my dad's up here that I'm visiting for a few days. I'm just callin' 'cause he lives up where there 'aint really no cell service. I'll be back by Thursday." Inuyasha sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between two clawed fingers.

" _I understood you the first time, I was just confirming that you are, in fact, visiting the most active volcano on Hokkaido. By the way. What, might i ask, are you doing in Hokkaido?"_ Miroku sounded beyond irritated. Inuyasha could hear Sango chattering on in the background. " _Id be irritated too if i had to hear her bitch at me.."_ Inuyasha thought, stretching his leg out on the branch that he was occupying. The owners of the small roadside diner had been kind enough to allow him to use their mobile hotspot to contact his friend. Where he was going tended to be beyond cell service.

"I already told yer deaf ass. I'm visiting a friend of my Old Man. I'll be back by Thursday. I just really need to work some shit out, alright? Fuck. A man can't take an impromptu get-away without 20-Fucking-Questions McGee over here givin' me the runaround! " Inuyasha snapped, losing his patience at his friends insistence on needing to know every detail of his doings. A clawed hand found its way into shaggy white hair as he looked up into the branches of the tree.

" _Okay, my friend. Make good decisions."_ The man prompted, a sigh resting heavy on every syllable. "Same for you, ya perv." Inuyasha jested, ending the call and turning his cell phone off. Once he jumped down from the tree, he poked his head back into the small diner and made eye contact with the gentle old racoon-dog woman who was setting the kettle down to boil. He nodded his thank you and the old demon smiled a 'you're welcome' and he was on his way again. He rehearsed what he was going to say in his mind, to the old demon who lived on a volcano and had a proclivity for metal-smithing.

OoO

"So i'm going to Mom's." Kagome sighed, grabbing her brush from the sink and putting it in her overnight bag. Her only classes for the next 2 days were with the same professor and her son had been taken to the hospital after coming down with an illness. Effectively canceling the classes. " _That's what's best right now. Mrs. Higurashi has always been the most understanding woman. My mom would have loved her."_ Sango replied, her voice echoing through the bathroom from being on speaker phone.

It was true. Yuuka Higurashi was incredibly understanding. And had a saint-like ability to stay level headed in even the worst situations. And that's why Kagome needed her wisdom now more than ever before.

" _Hey, it sounds like Miroku is frustrated about something."_ Sango commented, sighing. "When _isn't_ he frustrated." Kagome retorted, rolling her eyes. " _Yeah, well he probably wants to talk about it. So i'm going to get off of here, but yeah, let me know when you get to your moms house, Okay? I know it's not far but it's still a frustrating drive with all of the traffic."_ Kagome smiled, she couldn't have designed a best friend more perfect if she had been given the ability. " Absolutely." And after brief goodbyes, Kagome was back to quickly packing her things.

With all that was going on, she needed the peace and serenity of the shinto shrine that she still considered to be her home. She didn't need to grab much, just a few of her books for school and some toiletries. Her mother was very good about making sure she had clean clothes and shampoos ready at the helm for whenever she would blow in for a visit.

Throwing her worn yellow backpack over her shoulder, Kagome locked her apartment door and made her way to her beetle.

"Okay, Old Girl." Kagome sighed, unlocking the trunk and throwing her stuff inside. "Time to get going."

Despite evening traffic, Kagome made it to the small parking garage at the base of the shrine in a relatively reasonable amount of time.

Finding a decent spot on ground level, she grabbed her proof-of-parking resident tag and hooked it over her rear-view mirror, not wanting her car to get towed for being left in the garage for too long.

60 steps. Kagome huffed as she made it to the top of the stairs and scaled the secondary steps quickly, taking a left and passing the water basin and entering the private gate beside the haiden.

Kagome ran her fingers along the wooden slat opening of the upper walls of the Inner shrine as she was brought back to her childhood. This honden had entertained her many summer days, when she was free to roam and not made to hand clean the wooden floors of the sacred area with her grandfather as a supervisor. She was always made to wear yukata when cleaning during shrine hours, to keep up with the atmosphere.

She couldn't even tell you how many Kami she had thanked over the years that their shrine didn't have a kaguraden or partake in the ritualistic dances. Just servicing the outer temple was enough to serve as exhausting when people kept wanting her to pray with them. She wasn't even a legit shrine maiden by the standards of one. But her mother would make her don miko robes anyway during special celebrations and festivals held at the shrine.

As she passed the last torii gate, Kagome could smell that her mother had used the smoker for fish and her stomach began growling at her.

"Mom!" she called, opening the sliding door and kicking her shoes off. She could see straight down the hall and into the kitchen, where it looked like her mother was bustling about. "Oh! Kagome!" Yuuka smiled, stopping in the doorway and acknowledging her daughter.

"Come in, dear! We're having smoked salmon! Sota and Grandpa are in the living room!" Her mother smiled at her again before disappearing back into the source of wonderful smell. The tension that she didn't know she had been holding him her shoulders and back began to relax as she was swallowed in familiarity and peace.

OoO

Inuyasha cracked his neck as he looked at the small, weather-worn house. "Hey, Totosai!" He bellowed, jumping up the roof of the home. He could smell the old fire demon back in his metal shop, the sound of steel on steel and steel to stone sending bolts of electricity through his arms and legs with every hammer's fall.

"Hey, ya old fart. You deaf 'er somethin'?" He growled, jumping down to the metal shops door and leaning on the doors thick frame.

"Nope. Just don't care to answer!" The wrinkled figure responded, his too-thin face turning this way and that as he inspected what looked to be the shin guard of a European suit of armor.

"The fuck are you doing with that?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms and reaching a toe forward to poke at the remaining pieces.

"Since when do you talk so much?! If you are going to be in my shop, boy, then you need to make yourself useful. Hand me that file." Totosai grumbled, his mostly toothless mouth squishing into a tight line and portraying annoyance.

Listening to the man's orders, Inuyasha grabbed a large file from its place in a wall of cubbies and handed it to him. He was caught off guard only momentarily as the strong and calloused hand of his father's friend wrapped around the gritted steel and brought it against the edge of the guard, raking it skillfully. Sparks danced on the ground for split seconds between each swipe of the file's blade.

"Now why the hell are you here at my house, boy. No reason unless you need something of me, of course!" the old demon queried, his gaunt face holding no indication of his mood. Inuyasha leaned forward and brought his back off of the wall, his dark brows knitting over golden eyes as he curled his lip in defence.

"Listen here, ya old bastard! I came here so you could…" he paused, his inner fire dying as mild embarrassment twinged with sadness overtook his sharp features.

"..So you could tell me about my old man…" he continued, looking anywhere in the shop except the elder demon before him.

Totosai stopped filing and gently set the file on the table to his right, rubbing his hands on a shop towel looped in the obi of his old and worn hakama. Despite Inuyasha's prodding, the old man refused to update his wardrobe. "C'mere boy." he beckoned, tilting his head towards the back of the shop to a door. Inuyasha followed behind obediently, his curiosity peaking at the older mans sudden seriousness.

Once he crossed the threshold into the cool evening air, Inuyasha was impressed.

Totosai didn't wait for him as he walked to a small container by the side of the building and opened it, sticking a boney fist inside and retrieving a hand full of pellets. He then turned and walked to a decent sized fish pond that had been dug into the stone of the hardened volcanic soil.

"Hey," inuyasha inquired, looking at the shimmering water in the fading light. " Don't Koi need colder water than what you got up here? You lookin' for a fish fry?" he prodded, grabbing some pellets himself before walking over to the pond.

Five very large and colorful koi swam up to the old man beside him, their mouths gaping as they awaited food. Inuyasha also noticed several Weather Loaches darting in and around the group of koi, some even breaching the surface in excitement.

Inuyasha watched as the smaller, tube shaped fish darted their silver and pink tinted bodies around the much larger koi, not even caring about their frantic gulping.

"Your father was a great man." Totosai professed, tossing a small bit of the pellets to the eager fish. Inuyasha watched the mans face intently, yet was unable to keep his ears from twitching at the sound of the gentle splashing from the fishes hungry mouths.

"Toga Takahashi was gentle and observant. Like the loaches in this pond." The elder crooned, leaning down into a crouch, taking a small amount of pellets and switching them to his other hand. The hand with the least amount of pellets gently descended into the clear water as the other tossed the remaining pellets further into the pond. As the larger and more excitable koi followed the tossed pellets, the smaller silver loaches gently swam to Totosai's hand and ate directly from his palm.

" These loaches live looking to the future. The sense danger in the weather and will hide in safety. They eat more when they feel the temperature dropping. They are able to observe and learn. Where the koi live moment to moment, often becoming frantic when overstimulated. Your father was always one step ahead of everyone else. He was able to get all of his affairs in order before his death because he could tell something was coming for him. Toga was a strong man, but even demons are susceptible to disease. The illness spread quickly. There were things he could have done to lengthen his life. But Lord Toga was aware that his time had come. This is the main reason why your brother holds such ill will towards him and even yourself. He firmly believes it's your human mother's fault for making him weak. " Totosai sighed, removing his hand from the water once the last loach had sucked the pellets from his palm.

"Your father loved you and your late mother dearly. It's a shame he couldn't see you grow. I believe he would have wanted you to also live as the loach. Prepared and confident in your actions. Not like the koi who only live minute to minute."

Inuyasha felt his heart constrict at the thought of the father he never had the chance to meet. "So.. I've got this girl.." Inuyasha mumbled quietly, changing topic and kneeling beside the pond, he lowered his own hand in to the pond just enough for the loaches to come and loop between his fingers, nibbling the food offered. He was surprised by how cool the water was.

"Kagome. I know. You talk about her every time you're here." Totosai jested, sitting on a large rock formation by the edge of the water, his arms retracting into his green striped haori sleeves.

"Y-yeah.. Her. Well.. I don't know. I wanna tell her how i feel but i don't think she feels the same way about me, ya know?" Inuyasha continued, his cheeks tinting as he mumbled towards the water. He wasn't good at addressing his own feelings in his own head, much less out loud and to a man who had been a father figure to him growing up.

"Them ears a yours working? 'Aint you got a spine, boy? Didn't I just tell you to quit letting the present hold you up?" The elder demon grumbled, scratching at his nearly bald head. He was taken off guard by the splash of water that was sent his way, but the old man was still able to breath a short gust of flame just in time to vaporize the water and create a small tuft of steam. Inuyasha shook the water from the edges of his red hoodie sleeve as he scoffed at the man.

" I'm only saying, child, that you go to her and tell her how you feel. What's the worst that could happen, huh? She tells you she doesn't feel the same way and you two figure out a way to coexist with the new information. If she is truly your friend, then something as trivial as emotions won't get in the way of your friendship. But if she DOES share your feelings, then you have the opportunity to pursue a relationship. And I've never known you to be one to hesitate in speaking your mind, boy. "

" _He's right..I need to quit holding myself back. If she values me as a friend then we will figure something out."_ Inuyasha thought, leaning back on his haunches as he watched the fish move gently through the water.

"It's getting dark. Come inside so I can let you fix me dinner." Totosai said as he stretched, old bones creaking under the pressure. "Like hell, old man. I'll fix ME somethin' yer on yer own." Inuyasha grumbled, a slight smile on his face as he stood and they began to make their way to the house. His mind significantly lighter than when he had arrived. Somehow, no matter how hard headed he was, old Totosai knew what to say to knock him out of it and back on the right track.

OoO

After dinner, Kagome lay on her old bed in her bedroom, her socked feet kicking gently in the air as she held a pillow beneath her with yellow sweater-clad arms. Her hair was still damp after the bath her mother had run for her, sticking lightly to her face.

A gentle knock on her door frame sent her gaze from the light green of her tatami mat covered floor to her mother, who leaned lightly against the door frame, her eyebrows raised in silent question. The woman had her arms crossed over her blue striped shirt that was tucked into her black shin-length skirt. It seemed to Kagome that she had forgone her favorite yellow cardigan in the warm spring heat.

Kagome let out a heavy sigh and nodded her head, welcoming her mother to come and sit with her.

Yuuka Higurashi was a very intuitive person, especially when it came to her two children. And she could tell from the moment that Kagome walked through the door that she had something troubling on her mind.

Her mother sat lightly on the bed beside her and began to gently stroke her hair. "Care to tell me about it, darling?" Yuuka asked, looking down to the top of Kagome's head.

"Mom… how did you tell dad that you had feelings for him?" She asked, her voice holding a pinch of tears. She was honestly unaware as to how to go about this situation. What if he didn't feel the same way?

"Well, " her mother began, looking off to some unassuming spot on the wall as she recalled a memory.

"We were in school together. Masao was always laughing, always helping others. When I would volunteer here at the shrine, he would always make sure that I had assistance. Your grandfather would always invite me to stay for dinner and even then he would never allow me to service my own dishes.. Well, over that first summer, I fell in love. Come winter, he was the only thing i could think about. He became the reason i would day dream. He also became my best friend. One evening, before i left the shrine to go back home, I asked if he would come with me to have a word by the Goshinboku here at the shrine. He came and we sat down and shared a blanket over our laps. And i told him that I was in love with him. And you know what he said?" She asked, leaning down to catch Kagome's eye.

"That he loved you, too?" Kagome asked, her voice mildly hopeful despite knowing the obvious outcome of her parents affections.

"No." Yuuka laughed gently. Kagome gasped. She had assumed that her parents had always just been in love and everything had been perfect until her father had passed away in a car accident when she was only 5.

"He told me that he appreciated my honesty, but that he was planning on asking Tachibana Shouko to go steady with him. It broke my little heart, it did. " Yuuka laughed, smoothing back her daughters bangs out of her shocked face.

"But there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I didn't let his response stop me from helping at the shrine, or even less so stop me from laughing with him. Less than a week later, he stopped me before i even had a chance to start on chores and bowed to me in dogeza. He asked my forgiveness for his rejection. And if i would have him, he would be honored to be my boyfriend. And you know what I told him?" her mother asked, raising her eyebrows playfully.

Kagome shook her head, completely entrapped in her mother's story. Somehow she had never heard it before.

" I told him no. You should have seen his face! I wasn't too cruel, though. I told him that he needed to make it up to me by getting udon with me. And the rest is history!" the older woman chuckled. Kagome smiled. Her earliest memories were of the three of them at this very shrine. Her father's face only a softened blur. His facial details becoming harder and harder to determine over time, despite looking at his portrait often.

"So what i'm saying, darling, is whatever issue you're having with admitting your feelings to either yourself or to someone else needs to be brought out in the open. Holding onto things in fear of rejection can only cause heartbreak. At least if you admit it openly, you have an option for a more positive outcome. You will never know until you speak your heart. And you have a big one, my little bird. And no matter what happens, i will always be here to help you through it all." She whispered, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. Her little girl was smart enough to figure things out on her own, but she still wished to take away the pain of uncertainty.

"Thank you, Momma." Kagome smiled, a tear brimmed in her eye as she squeezed her mother back. This trip really was the best thing for her in this situation.

" _She's right. I need to quit holding myself back. If he values me as a friend then we can work something out."_ she thought, smiling up to her mother's softened features.

As soon as she was able, she would take the plunge and tell Inuyasha her feelings for him.

* * *

 **A/N: Yoooo... so Im sorry about how long this took to update... It was around the time i usually update when 5 amazing women i met on tumblr in the Inuyasha fandom actually came and visited me for a week. Thats right. Im blaming my beautiful ladies for my inability to get anything done on time lol. But in all seriousness. I apologize for how long this took. And things are starting to look like i will be able to work on this more often. Things are going to start picking up for our angsty kids soon enough and i feel like we might be a few chapters away from the wrap up! So thank you guys so much for reading and I love to read your reviews so please let me know how you liked it or even if you didnt!**

 **love- EtS**


	8. Chapter 8

**Inspired by "Hearts Don't Break Around Here" By Ed Sheeran and "I'll Be Your Man" By Passenger**

* * *

Monday morning brought Inuyasha to an unfamiliar bed in a small home on a volcano.

Giving a defiant grunt, he leaned forward, grabbing reflexively for his phone on the nightstand. Clawed fingers pressed buttons as the device came to life. The screen illuminated and stared him in the face, that same symbol that mocked him yesterday. A circle with a line through it. "Still no signal.. Damn." he mumbled, pausing only momentarily to look at the time before he powered it back off and flopped back on the too-stiff bed. He was used to firm mattresses, but this was like sleeping on an actual rock.

He usually didn't mind the texture of beds and could be found asleep in some pretty inhospitable situations. But last nights pondering would have done him better in a bed that knew him better than the stiff and rarely used fibers of a mattress that Inuyasha was convinced had been hand sewn at least a hundred years ago.

That same clawed hand came to rest back on his chest, fingers toying deftly with the thick collar of his shirt as golden eyes searched for nothing in particular on the ceiling. The thick weave of the jersey was comforting between his fingers as his thoughts drifted to the reason why he was so uncomfortable in the first place.

He was going to tell her. He was going to somehow let her know that all he wanted was fields and trees and her smell. He wanted to run his hands through her hair and feel the safety that she promised and give her safety in return. He wanted her to be the last thing he saw before he went to sleep and the first essence he breathed when he awoke. That she's the sweetest thing his soul has ever known and somehow she took his heart and wandered off with it. And he wanted nothing more than to bring it back, with her.

That she shakes him to his very core. How no matter how many times he has tried to tear his eyes away from her, her brightness draws him back like a lighthouse through the fog that he sometimes got lost in. That no matter how angry the world makes him. No matter how frustrated he might become, she was a balm. She soothed the cracks and crinkles. She made the things that really shouldn't be okay… well.. Somehow they were easier to handle.

She tempered him. She knew when to cool the flames licking behind his eyes and when to rise against them, showing him that his word wasn't law.

She was everything that he knew he needed. Everything he'd ever hoped to find.

And everything rested on his damn inability to verbalize his fucking feelings. Why wasn't it as easy as just grabbing her and kissing her senseless and somehow telepathically letting her know that she was the only thing that made any semblance of sense in this cluster-fuck of a life. That if she gave him the chance, he would never wrong her or let her go.

He felt like this whole situation was like water in his hands. Like this was his one and only chance to show her. To let her know he was willing to do whatever it took to be her man. And everything that entailed. All she needed to do was tell him what to do and he would do it.

For her, he would. No doubt in his mind. He just didn't know how to let her know that.

Gently, the thought washed over him. Friday. He could "invite" her. He knew she would already be there, because she sang. But she didn't know that he went. He had always made sure of that.

Couldn't have her finding out about his feelings before even he could.

He knew now what he would do. What he would play. How he would find a way to tell her how he felt without actually having to use his own words… because that often ended up with him enjoying his size 11 placed firmly in his own mouth.

A small smirk pulled at his lips as it came together slowly, goose bumps slowly crawling up his forearms as he thought about what exactly was going to happen.

Pulling himself into a sitting position, he scrubbed his hands through his hair and chuckled, because if he allowed himself to be nervous, he knew that there was no way he could make his feet take the trip back home. Lucky for him, he planned on spending until at least Wednesday helping the old demon with chores and catching up.

Mostly making up for years of sparse visits and even rarer calls. It was the least he could do for the geezer. And hell, It might even get him some more information on the father he never had.

/

Kagome awoke the next morning to the smell of mackerel and miso. Her mother always did know how to start her mornings out properly. Stretching her arms over her head, she squeezed her eyes shut as her body shivered awake. After the initial stretch, Kagome let her arms fall down onto the pillow above her as she stared at the ceiling. She was going to call him today and ask him to meet up once she arrived back home tomorrow. It would be sloppy, but honest and very much necessary to her sanity. Nerves crept through her chest at the thought of seeing him face to face, slowly seeping into her limbs and drawing heat to her cheeks.

Shaking her head, Kagome figured the only way to get rid of the goose flesh now covering her arms was a nice bowl of the hot soup her mother undoubtedly had waiting for her downstairs.

After running her fingers through her hair, Kagome descended the spiral staircase to the lower level of the home, making her way straight in to the living room where her mother had set out breakfast on the table.

Souta sat lazily, his legs spread out as Buyo curled up between them. Some new anime was flashing on the television as he deftly sipped the warm broth. " When are you going to grow up and get a job?" Kagome asked, irritated to find that her brother had eaten every last iyokan, robbing her of the delicious orange, citrusy wake up she was needing. Instead, she was greeted with the peels of all six of the fruits her mother had so graciously laid out for them sitting atop the tray Kagome was to use for her breakfast.

"Maybe when you stop being a whiny baby about Inuyasha nii-san and ask him out already." Souta smirked, casting her a shit-eating grin and a slick side-eye, the last slice of iyokan poised at his lips. "Oh, YOU!" Kagome grunted, her face turning pink. As she sat down, she grabbed the zabuton pillow from the floor to her right and chunked it at the smug 18 year old, hitting him squarely in his face, knocking the slice free from his hands where it then landed on the floor with a wet plop. "Hey! Buyo no!" Souta protested, but before he could stop him, the fat cat had chomped down on the morsel and swallowed it whole.

"You better hope cats aren't allergic to citrus. Because is Buyo dies it's 100% your fault and i'm telling mom that you poisoned him on purpose because you're lonely and hateful." Souta grumbled, curling his lip up at his older sister. " _He really has taken too much of a liking to Inuyasha over the years.."_ Kagome thought, scooping the warm natto beans on to her rice bowl before plucking a delicious mackerel fillet from the tray and placing it on her own.

"Well. You better hope that you have some redeeming skill sets to offer those jobs you'll be applying at, because i'm calling him after breakfast and asking him on a date."

She had closed her eyes to sip her green tea, but the scene she heard was just as enjoyable.

Souta had jumped and turned to her so quickly that he had slammed his knee into the low table, rattling the plates and glasses loudly.

"SAY WHAT?!" He exclaimed, slamming his hands on the cool oak in front of him. "You heard me. I said I'm calling him and asking him on a date." She may have sounded confident out loud, but she was shaking in her pajamas. Would it really be that easy?

Dumbfounded, Souta sat, staring blankly at the television, muttering to himself. She was sure she heard something about "Tenzo's Uncle's market" and "those clean slacks from Aunt Mishinori's funeral". As her brother ruminated over his impending need to job-hunt, Kagome picked at her food slowly. She had set a time frame for herself, and now that it was so close, she was more terrified that the moment it had appeared in her thoughts.

Setting her bowl and tray into the sink, Kagome thought about her phone sitting upstairs on her nightstand. After a deep breath, she turned sturnly and marched her way to the stairs, thumping her way up with determined gusto.

As she sat on her childhood bed, holding her cell phone in her hands, Kagome clicked the power button to see the background of them on the bridge.

Giving her the strength she needed, Kagome unlocked the phone and scrolled her contacts and selected the one she needed. A mantra flowed through her head as her thumb hovered over the little green phone icon beside his name. " _He's going to answer because he's on his way to work before class. Before he makes things weird, I'll ask him to dinner tomorrow. Just us. I'll tell him i have something i want to tell him. And that I'm really looking forward to the.. To the date. That's it. He answers, I ask him, i bait him with the little snippit and i call it a date so he does not mistake my intentions."_

Breathe in. Breathe out. A slender thumb pressed the button, but before she could bring the phone completely to her ear, she heard the unmistakable sound of his voicemail. She had been completely ignored.

" _You know whose phone this is. Don't bother with a message, i don't listen to them anyway. If i like you, i'll text you."_ _beeeeeep_ Kagome fumbled for a moment before asking him to call her back,, that she had something important to discuss.

He had never ignored her call before. DId this mean he was upset about Saturday night? Or had she read his signals all wrong. Was she making a mistake by continuing with her gut feeling?

She sat on her bed, phone in hand, and stared at the contact picture grimacing back at her. She wondered, for all that she was, why he would choose now of all times to not answer her call when she needed his voice the most. She stood, crossing her arms and going to her window as she stared out to the shrine grounds below. Hesitation and self-consciousness crept up from somewhere in her stomach.

What if this wasn't such a good idea at all?

* * *

 **a/n- *does dogeza* Im so sorry its taken me this long and all i got to you was roughly 2k words. Between 2 surgeries, holidays, my son's birthday, migraines, neck pain, a pinched nerve, complications with my thyroid disease and diagnosis of an auto-immune disorder, I haven't had much energy or creative want-to the past couple of months. My thyroid disease has literally had me near bed-ridden with exhaustion and my toddler is high-octane most of the day. And i've been battling constant illness. the whole time ive been kicking myself for not updating sooner. I cant promise the next one will be quick. Things are looking up with my diseases so hopefully my new medication will do its job and i will have enough energy to write some more. Please be patient with me. I want to finish this as much as you want it to get finished.**

 **i love and appreciate all you who are reading my scribbles. I hope i can make some better content for you to enjoy soon enough.**

 **-EtS**


End file.
